Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers Game Predictions
The Atlanta Falcons will face their first division opponent on Sunday, the Carolina Panthers.
Things have not been going well for the Falcons these past four weeks. Blown leads, inconsistency, and bad coaching have all been a recipe for disaster for this team.
Many fans and others have been calling for Dan Quinn’s job since this horrendous start, but it looks like there has not yet been a discussion about firing him.
For the Panthers, they are 2-2 to start the season and have looked better than projected. After cleaning house in the offseason, there was no doubt that this team would be in a rebuilding phase. So far, things have been looking up for the Panthers, and they’ll have a chance to add on to their success on Sunday.
Here are some predictions for the Falcons in week 5.
Offense
The offense hit a wall against the Green Bay Packers, and they may continue to hit walls for weeks to come. Julio Jones is questionable for Sunday’s game, which means that other receivers must step up and make plays.
Calvin Ridley didn’t register a catch against the Packers, which is concerning due to his impressive start to the season. The Panthers have been a solid group at defending the pass, so this may not be a game where he’ll get back on track. Russell Gage, Olamide Zaccheaus and Christian Blake will also have to play an important role this week if Jones is not able to go.
Though the Panthers have a strong pass defense, their run defense has been suspect. This bodes well for Todd Gurley II, who rushed for two touchdowns against the Packers. Gurley has shown that he’s not as explosive as he used to be in previous years, but he still knows how to make plays on the field. Expect him to have another solid game on the ground this week.
Matt Ryan will be the key player this week for the Falcons offense to get rolling. There were numerous plays that Ryan may have wanted back last week, but this week he will need to bounce back. I expect Ryan to have a good game, being more accurate on his deep balls and on third down situations.
Defense
The Falcons defense has continued to be a low point during the season, while the Panthers offense has been their strong point.
The Panthers have speedsters at receiver with D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson on the outside, but luckily for the Falcons they’ll be getting A.J. Terrell back. Kendall Sheffield returned last week and had a good game playing outside cornerback, and I expect him to stay there against these speedy receivers.
Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen will also be back, so getting help over the top will be beneficial against this group.
Mike Davis has taken over the at running back with Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve and has been playing well. Most teams understand that the Falcons biggest weakness on defense is their passing game, so they shy away from running the ball. Davis might not have a big game this week, but it won’t be because the Falcons are containing him.
Overall Prediction
If the Falcons haven’t showed any progress over the past four weeks, I don’t expect them to show any against an underrated Panthers team. The defense will continue to get exposed, and the offense will have its lapses once again. If the Falcons do indeed lose, I think this will be the last week we see Dan Quinn as the head coach.
Score Prediction: Falcons 17, Panthers 27
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