NFC Notes: Frank Reich, Arthur Smith, Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

Buccaneers passing game coordinator and LB coach Larry Foote spoke about the team’s upcoming matchup with the Lions and QB Jared Goff.

“I remember [when] he was drafted because I was in Arizona,” Foote said of Goff, via Buccaneers.com. “His only bad year, in my opinion, was probably his rookie year. With [Sean] McVay in his second year, he just took off. He’s a good, savvy quarterback. What’s unique about him [is] I put him in that group with [Tom] Brady and [Peyton] Manning as far as the play action – they sell it, they do a good job of selling it. As a linebacker, that can be tricky, because it looks the same. He’s making every throw and he’s a No. 1 pick.”

“I think that started last year, they put the league on notice,” Foote added on the Lions’ offense. “That offense is high-powered. They can run it, they can throw it. We talked about [Jared] Goff earlier – the line is good, it’s going to be a big challenge for us. Just studying those guys, they can run it and throw it. The guys have got to buy in and you’ve got to win your one-on-one matchups. In order to beat a good offense like that, your players have got to outplay theirs. Our guys are up for the challenge. It’s not just [David Montgomery] – it’s whoever touches the ball. It starts up front. But I definitely mentioned that to my guys this morning – the last time [we faced] a good running team, they won it. We’ve got to win this battle. It’s going to be a big challenge because everybody knows that they’re coming in here to run the ball and that’s their identity. It’s going to be a big challenge for us.”

Falcons

So far through five games, the Falcons’ defense looks significantly better than it has at any point since the team was last in the playoffs in 2017. However, Atlanta is still one of the worst teams in the league at taking down the quarterback with just five sacks in five games. Veteran DL Calais Campbell is still searching for his first of the season and No. 100 of his career. The current team leader is DT David Onyemata with 1.5 sacks and veteran DT Grady Jarrett and OLB Bud Dupree each have just a half sack. 

Still, Falcons HC Arthur Smith points to the team’s pressure numbers — which are better than their sack totals but still not great — as a sign that more improvement is ahead for the unit. 

“Sacks are great, obviously you want it, but I think right now we’re doing a really good job of affecting the quarterback,” Smith said via the Athletic’s Josh Kendall. “Where it sticks out is when you’re not getting any pressure. We just have to continue to affect the quarterback. And I think naturally more (sacks) will happen. I think if you get hung up on that one number, you can go chasing things and screw up your rush plans and what you’re really trying to do.”

Panthers

Panthers HC Frank Reich spoke about the current state of the team as they remain winless under owner David Tepper. 

“It hasn’t been fun,” Reich said, via Joe Person of The Athletic. “I wouldn’t characterize them as fun meetings. But those meetings make me better, and I trust they make us better. Some owners kind of stay away and don’t engage a whole lot. Other owners do. And his philosophy is he’s gonna engage. Listen, it’s only been a short experience, but it’s been a really good experience.”

“I know this is hard to say after that game, but offensively we did some good things that we can build on. That was the No. 1 run defense. We ran the ball very efficiently. Would have liked to call more runs, but you’re playing from behind,” Reich added. “But I thought the O-line blocked well in the run game. That was a promising sign.”

Veteran Panthers TE Hayden Hurst also weighed in on the franchise’s early season struggles.

“I think the biggest issue right now is we just continue to shoot ourselves in the foot,” Hurst added. “We’re in a one-score game in Detroit and we go back-to-back turnovers and they turn ’em into touchdowns. And we go down 21. You just can’t do that. The more self-inflicted wounds that we have, it’s harder to overcome that stuff.”