The weekly leaders package from ESPN Stats & Information just arrived and that’s sort of like a holiday around NFC South Blog headquarters.
I look at the Christmas tree and never know if I should open the package marked “individual drops’’ or “team drops’’ first. They’ve both been so intriguing this season and this week is no exception.
Let’s start with the team drops this week since the Falcons and Buccaneers have guaranteed that the NFC South always is represented near the top of the list.
The Falcons and Bucs now are in a three-way tie (along with the Rams) for third place in the NFL. Both Atlanta and Tampa Bay have 24 drops. The Saints and Panthers really aren’t big factors in this category. The Saints throw the ball more than anybody, but they only have 16 drops, which ties them for No. 16 in the league. The Panthers have 13 drops, which ties them for No. 22.
Now, let’s go back to the individual drops. Atlanta’s Roddy White put two passes on the ground Sunday against Houston and now leads the league with 11 drops. But White suddenly has a strong challenger. Cleveland’s Greg Little is only a drop behind him.
After that, there’s pretty strong representation for the NFC South in the top 10. Tampa Bay’s Mike Williams is tied for third with seven drops. His teammate, Arrelious Benn, is tied for No. 7 with five drops.
Oh, for the record, Atlanta's Julio Jones is tied with a bunch of guys at No. 41 with three drops. But two of Jones' drops came in Sunday's loss to Houston.