Falcons GAMEDAY: Can Atlanta Climb Above .500 vs. Panthers?
The Atlanta Falcons look for their third straight win, hosting the spiraling Carolina Panthers in a NFC South Division battle. A win would mark a Falcons' winning record for the first time since the end of the 2017 season.
While the Panthers are trying to stop a four-game skid, Carolina does have the second- best pass defense in the NFL through Week 7. It'll be a good test for quarterback Matt Ryan, who posted his third 300-yard, two-touchdown game of the season in the Falcons win vs. Miami.
The Panthers are still without running back Christian McCaffrey while the Falcons have a relatively small injury report.
FUN FACT: Kyle Pitts is the first rookie tight end in the last 50 years to record back-to-back 100-yard games. The Falcons' first-round draft pick out of Florida has 16 catches for 282 yards in Atlanta's last two games.
“There’s no blink in his game,” said Ryan about Pitts. “When the game’s on the line or it’s an important situation, he just goes out there and executes the same way he does every other snap.”
RECORDS: Atlanta Falcons (3-3) vs. Carolina Panthers (3-4)
ODDS: The Falcons are 3-point favorites on FanDuel vs. the Carolina Panthers. The over/under is 46.5 total points.
BETTING TREND: This season, the Falcons are winless against the spread when entering a game as a favorite of 3 points or more.
GAME TIME Sunday, Oct. 31 at 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.
TV/RADIO: FOX, 105.3 The Fan
THE FINAL WORD Coach Arthur Smith on Ryan:
"He's a special player. I personally think he's criminally underrated if you look at his career here in the National Football League."
