NFC South Notebook: Saints defend Ryan; Jones winning rivalry with Peterson
Every Monday and Friday, theScore's NFL editors will bring you a roundup of everything you need to know from around the division with the NFC South Notebook.
Atlanta Falcons
Jones winning rivalry with Peterson. Wide receiver Julio Jones says his record speaks for itself in his rivalry with Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson. "From my record, the only thing I can remember is I won three and lost one. I whipped him twice in college, lost once in college, and I won one time in the NFL. That's the only thing I can remember. You can take that how you want to take it."
Historically, Ryan struggles against Cardinals. In his last two games against the Cardinals, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has tossed nine interceptions.
White misses practice. Although Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White sat out Thursday's practice with an ankle injury, he's expected to participate in some capacity on Friday.
New Orleans Saints
Saints defend Rob Ryan. Despite their inability to stop opposing offenses from piling up points, the Saints' defense refuses to throw defensive coordinator Rob Ryan under the bus.
Payton prepared for poor conditions in Pittsburgh. Saints head coach Sean Payton said his team is ready to face the unfavorable weather and field conditions that are sure to face them on Sunday when they play the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.
Payton wants team to remember past success. With a chance to make the playoffs despite sporting a putrid 4-7 record, Payton wants to remind his team of all the classic Saints turnarounds of the past few years.
Carolina Panthers
Johnson engages in Twitter beef. Defensive end Charles Johnson found himself in a Twitter beef with a fan who told him to "keep your mouth shut and play football" after Johnson tweeted about the rioting in Ferguson, Mo.
Newton getting better at facing adversity. According to head coach Ron Rivera, quarterback Cam Newton is learning to handle adversity much better this season. Rivera also thinks that Newton isn't playing as poorly as the team's record would suggest.
Son's heart condition allows Olsen to put football in perspective. Greg Olsen's son, T.J., was born with hypo-plastic left heart syndrome and has undergone four open heart surgeries as a result. "It puts a lot of things in perspective. This time of the year you kind of stop and count your blessings and just think how fortunate we are."
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dotson calls home record disgusting. Offensive tackle Demar Dotson thinks that the Buccaneers winless home record this season is "disgusting to think about."
Martin says he's the same player he was in 2012. Although his numbers wouldn't agree with him, running back Doug Martin still believes he's the same player that rushed for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns during his rookie campaign in 2012.
Buccaneers struggling with hamstring issues. At least six Buccaneers have been hampered with hamstring injuries since the end of October.