Carolina Panthers

Panthers at Falcons: Preview, Predictions, and More

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:30 p.m. ET

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Dec 27, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman (24) carries the ball tackled by Carolina Panthers free safety Kurt Coleman (20) in the third quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Carolina Panthers vs Atlanta Falcons

Last season, both the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons got off to red hot starts. The Falcons started with five straight wins and were even sitting pretty at 6-1 before the bottom fell off. They dropped seven of their final nine games as they limped to an 8-8 finish.

Carolina on the other hand kept their hot streak going all season. They rattled off 14 wins in a row before suffering their only loss of the regular season in Week 16. They finished 15-1, but the one team to keep them from finishing 16-0 was, of course, the Atlanta Falcons.

This year things are different as Carolina has struggled some to start the year. They have been handed losses thanks to the Denver Broncos (the same team to beat them in the Super Bowl) and the Minnesota Vikings. Sandwiched between those losses was a thorough beatdown of the hapless San Francisco 49ers.

Atlanta on the other hand suffered a seven point loss to another NFC South foe, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to start the season, but followed that up with two straight wins. Atlanta downed the Oakland Raiders by seven and then handled their business against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football last week.

So can Atlanta stretch their winning streak to three straight, or will the Panthers catch them at 2-2 and share a tie for first in the NFC South early in the season?

Sep 26, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman (26) carries the ball as New Orleans Saints defensive back Roman Harper (41) tackles during the first quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

How Has Atlanta Looked?

Atlanta right now sits as the number one scoring in the league. They are putting up points at a lightning fast pace as they average 34.7 points per game. Quarterback Matt Ryan has completed 70 percent of his passes and has 970 yards with seven touchdowns so far. He has done a great job of taking care of the ball as well as the veteran has just one interception on the young season.

He isn’t alone on offense of course as the Dirty Birds now have a two-headed monster in the backfield behind him. Running back Devonta Freeman burst onto the scene in 2015 and hasn’t slowed down at all this year.

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Currently Freeman is rushing for 6.3 yards per attempt as he sits with 265 yards on the ground. He has yet to run for a touchdown, but he has caught an additional nine passes for 75 yards and does have a score through the air.

His running mate is second-year back Tevin Coleman. The sophomore has produced mostly in the red zone and as a pass catcher so far this season. Despite averaging just 3.4 yards per rush, Coleman does have four touchdowns to go along with his 110 yards rushing. He also has 167 yards receiving on ten receptions this year.

That’s without even getting to their biggest star, receiver Julio Jones. The Alabama product has become one of the top receivers in the game and looks to recover from a game where he had just one reception last week. Injuries slowed him down in that game, but don’t expect that to continue.

Unfortunately for Atlanta, the playmakers don’t extend to their defense. Atlanta has just three sacks and two interceptions on the year so far. Cornerback Desmond Trufant may be their best asset on that side, but this team wins with offense.

Sep 18, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) runs as San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Eli Harold (58) and inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) defends in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

How Has Carolina Looked?

The Panthers win with defense. Their biggest star is quarterback Cam Newton, but this team is built around being a tough defense. Middle linebacker Luke Kuechly is arguably the best in the game. He affects every play and is probably the best cover linebacker in the NFL.

Next to him is their inspirational leader Thomas Davis, who doesn’t even miss games when he breaks his arm. Safety Kurt Coleman, defensive tackle Kawaan Short, defensive end Charles Johnson, and linebacker Shaq Thompson are some other playmakers who stand out on defense for Carolina.

This unit is playing hard this season and has surrendered just 273.3 yards per game, which is the third-lowest in the league. They haven’t been good at keeping teams from scoring though, as they have surrendered 23.3 points per game, which lands them at 19th. However, they still have doubled the Falcons sack totals and interceptions with six and four respectively.

Offensively they are better than last year with the return of receiver Kelvin Benjamin. He is helped in the passing game by their beast of a tight end Greg Olsen. Even with as dominant as those two are, Newton is the man who makes them go on offense. He was the 2015 MVP and is exactly the guy you want under center when trying to snap out of a funk.

Sep 25, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly (59) argues a no call in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Bank of America Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Panthers 22-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

So Who Wins?

Offense looks sexy. However, defense wins championships. Atlanta has beat the Raiders and Saints. New Orleans is winless, but Oakland could be legit. They lost to the Bucs who are 1-2.

Really, the only thing you can tell from this is Atlanta has played one good team and none that were in the playoffs in 2015. The Panthers on the other hand lost to the defending Super Bowl Champions and another double-digit-win playoff team from last season.

They also lost to defensive powerhouses in Denver and Minnesota. Atlanta was not a playoff team last year, and they are no defensive powerhouse. Look for Newton to establish himself early with some deep passes to Olsen and Benjamin as he takes advantage of the weak Falcons secondary.

Defensively Kuechly and company will be able to slow down the high scoring Falcons much easier than Atlanta can slow Cam. Look for Ryan to struggle against the pressure the Panthers bring as he tosses a couple picks as his team drops a close one at home.

Final score: Carolina Panthers: 27, Atlanta Falcons: 23

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