Falcons
- Should the Falcons lose OC Zac Robinson at any point this season, including if he ends up taking the open head coaching job at Oklahoma State, his alma mater, the Athletic’s Josh Kendall notes pass game coordinator T.J. Yates is the likely replacement.
- Kendall writes the Falcons expect CB AJ Terrell to return this coming week against the Bills, but they have to see him in practice first to make sure his hamstring is ready. He adds OT Storm Norton and LB Troy Andersen are now eligible to come off the injured lists, but Norton will be back before Andersen, as the latter is still recovering from last year’s knee injury and will need a longer ramp-up.
- Falcons TE Kyle Pitts has had a strong start to the season, and Kendall notes that at his current trajectory, Pitts would be an extension target for Atlanta.
Panthers
Panthers RB Rico Dowdle racked up 206 yards on the ground, rushing for nine yards per carry and helping Carolina storm back for a victory over the Dolphins on Sunday. He is now looking forward to facing his former team when the Panthers take on the Cowboys in Week 6.
“They’ve got to buckle up,” Dowdle said, via David Newton of ESPN. “I think they know for sure. They didn’t keep me there for five years for no reason. They know I’m a violent runner. I’m looking forward to getting to the second level on them. They’ve just got to buckle up.”
Dowdle ran for the second-most yards in team history, but was forced out late in the game due to calf cramps. While Dowdle was drinking pickle juice and hoping to get back on the field to beat RB DeAngelo Williams‘ record, Panthers HC Dave Canales felt that Dowdle had already done his part, breaking tackles and getting to the second level.
“If I didn’t leave with cramps, I definitely would have gotten it,” Dowdle added.
“It’s the attitude he ran with, the violence that he ran with, finishing through arm tackles, something that we’ve been challenging our guys on,” Canales said of Dowdle. “When we get to that second level, have a plan for how you finish. I saw a great finish today out of Rico.”
Panthers
Carolina put together a comeback win in Week 5 over Miami behind a strong performance from their young players. Panthers HC Dave Canales talked about how much they put on their young players and praised WR Jimmy Horn Jr. for making a big play in his NFL debut.
“We talk to our guys, especially the young guys,” Canales said, via Anthony Rizzuti of the Panthers Wire. “We talk to them out of a sign of respect and we say, ‘We’re counting on you to just do your job. We don’t need you to do anything special. Just be where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there.’ And I was so proud of Jimmy [Horn] to be able to make that play for us.”
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