The 'books have tabbed the Falcons and Panthers as co-favorites to win the NFC South, odds that haven't changed since May. If Kelvin Benjamin is forced to miss significant time with a knee injury he suffered during practice today, does that make the Falcons the clear favorite?
(Update: Benjamin is out for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee.)
The question isn’t as silly as it sounds. Yes, Benjamin plays wide receiver and not one of the marquee positions: quarterback, left tackle or pass rusher. But remember, the Panthers selected Benjamin No. 28 overall in the 2014 draft because they needed a big receiver who can still catch Cam Newton’s passes when they sail high, as they tend to do.
(That's still a problem, by the way.)
Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus looks at how losing Benjamin for a stretch would impact the Panthers:
Where do the Panthers go from here? They drafted WR Devin Funchess out of Michigan, and he's largely a similar player to Benjamin. But two big receivers are certainly better than one, and a Benjamin injury really hurts the Panthers' depth and ability to create mismatches. They'll need another receiver to step up among the likes of Corey Brown, Jerricho Cotchery and Ted Ginn — none of which inspired confidence with their respective performances last year.
A year after Newton received as little help from his receivers as any quarterback in the league, it may be a repeat performance for the Carolina passing game if Benjamin misses significant time.
Benjamin was somewhat overlooked in a bumper crop of rookie wide receivers last year but he was good as any. He finished with 1,008 yards and 11 receptions during the regular season, and then totaled 11 catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs. Benjamin had issues with drops but he’s obviously an important cog for the Panthers.
The Panthers still are strong up front on defense. They still have the erratic-but-talented Newton, his contract freshly extended for $68 million over the next three years. But the offensive line remains questionable—how can it not with Michael Oher at left tackle? Newton likely is going to be spending a lot of time avoiding pressure again and so throwing up jump balls for Benjamin is a nice option to have.
The Falcons have their own questions, of course. But if the wagering public considered the Falcons equal to the Panthers over the summer, then a significant injury to Benjamin has to put Falcons slightly ahead in the South.
