NFC Notes: Raheem Morris, Darren Rizzi, Bryce Young, Falcons, Panthers, Saints

“It’s really about us trying to find ways to get wins and really just focus on us,” Falcons HC Raheem Morris said, via the team’s website. “We’ve got to worry about us, as opposed to what’s happening around us, and those are things we got to do. A lot of credit to Tampa; they won three in a row, we lost four in a row. Got to give those guys in our division, a lot of credit. It’s time for us to reset the page and find a way to go out there and get a win, and it starts next week out in Vegas.”

Panthers

Panthers HC Dave Canales praised QB Bryce Young‘s performance in the team’s 22-16 loss to the Eagles in Week 14. 

“Just his competitive nature coming alive in that moment to keep it alive and make somebody miss,” Canales said, via Greg Auman of Fox Sports. “It’s the passion that this whole group plays with. Bryce is certainly a part of that. The fight to just say, as long as we have time and downs, we have a chance. So that part was great. Just to continue to see it show up week in and week out shows the understanding and the grasp of all the things that we’re doing to find guys in those situations.”

Young knew beating Philadelphia required a lot out of them and thinks each player took an individual “look in the mirror.” 

“Especially when you get a team like that, we knew it was going to take everything,” Young said. “It was going to take execution at the highest level. And we wear that as a team, as a unit, as a group, as an entire team. We didn’t get it done. It’s on all of us. There are zero individuals. I look in the mirror individually, and then we all have that mindset.”

Young mentioned how their recent performances have given them confidence and an opportunity to build off of their success. 

“There are no participation trophies, no consolation,” Young said. “But it does give us confidence to know that — Coach (Canales) says it all the time, it’s about us. When we’re executing, we’re at our best. We are able to just focus on that. And again, it’s not a consolation for today, but it gives us some stuff on film to build off of. The opportunity to identify things we’re doing well, how we continue to do it, how we build off of it, and the same mindset of how we can improve on things. So I think just being in that headspace, it’s good for growth. But now it’s on us to make sure we actually grow and take those steps.”

Saints

The Saints held on to a Week 14 win thanks to a last-second blocked field goal against the Giants. New Orleans interim HC Darren Rizzi improved to 3-1 since taking over and feels they are right in the thick of a postseason race.

“Huge. I know another one of the teams at the top of our division lost again today,” Rizzi said, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “So, it keeps us in the mix. Listen, we’re down here to the end of the year. It’s the middle of December already. When you’re playing games that still matter and still count and still have a chance to affect the final outcome, that’s a big deal. So here we are with four to go and as I just said to the guys, that’s why we practice with a purpose. We go through the week with a purpose because we’re still playing. We’re still in contention. Trying not to be a big-picture guy, but, it’s always nice to have that out there so you can focus on the now and not worry about that there’s still that opportunity for us.”