Falcons vs. Panthers Thursday Night Football: Carolina Runs Past Atlanta 25-15
On Oct. 30, Atlanta Falcons won 37-34 in an overtime thriller against the Carolina Panthers.
Now, 11 days later, they’ll see if they can recreate their magic on Thursday Night Football.
Atlanta was seemingly seconds away from winning and losing in regulation. The Falcons led 34-28 with 40 seconds left in the game. Just 17 seconds later, P.J. Walker rolled to his left and delivered a 62-yard bomb to D.J. Moore in the end zone to tie the game.
Moore took his helmet off, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty and got enforced on the extra point. Eddy Pineiro missed the kick, and the game stayed tied 34-34 heading into overtime.
Pineiro also missed the potential game-winning field goal in overtime. Younghoe Koo made the game-winning 41-yard field goal with two minutes left.
On Sunday, the Falcons lost a heartbreaker to the Los Angeles Chargers 20-17. Carolina lost in one-sided fashion, 42-21, to the Cincinnati Bengals. Tonight, both teams are looking to bounce back and win.
Here are the inactive players for both teams ...
Atlanta Falcons
- CB A.J. Terrell
- S Erik Harris
- TE Feleipe Franks
- DL Matt Dickerson
- OL Jonotthan Harrison
- LB Nate Landman
- TE Anthony Firkser
Carolina Panthers inactives
- S Justin Burris
- WR Rashard Higgins
- QB Sam Darnold
- LB Arron Mosby
- OT Larnel Coleman
Stick around with Falcon Report throughout the night for live updates, drive-by-drive coverage and highlights during the game.
First Quarter:
The Panthers won the toss and deferred to the second half. Atlanta will get the ball to start the game. Cordarrale Patterson ran it to the Falcons' 27-yard line, but a holding call moves them back 10 yards.
Patterson gets the carry on first down and runs for three yards. On second down, Marcus Mariota's pass is incomplete. Atlanta is flagged for an ineligible man downfield but it's declined. On third and long, Mariota completes a pass to Kyle Pitts for 20 yards and a first down.
Caleb Huntley gets the handoff from Mariota and loses a yard. Patterson gets the ball on second and long and only gains two yards. On third and long, Mariota throws a screen to Tyler Allgeier and he loses five yards.
Bradley Pinion comes out to punt and it's downed at Carolina's 32-yard line.
Change of possession.
D'Onta Foreman gets the handoff and runs for four yards. Foreman gets the carry again and runs for five yards. On third and one, Foreman gains two yards for a first down.
Foreman gets another carry but loses a yard. On second and 11, P.J. Walker completes a 20-yard pass to D.J. Moore for a first down.
Raheem Blackshear gets the carry and runs for 12 yards.
Blackshear gets another carry and is stopped at the line of scrimmage. On second and 10, Walker goes to the end zone and a potential interception is dropped. On third and long, Walker's pass is incomplete.
Eddy Pineiro comes out to kick a 46-yard field goal and it hits the post but goes between the uprights with 6:59 left in the first quarter.
Panthers 3, Falcons 0
Change of possession.
Patterson fields the kickoff at the two-yard line and runs it to Atlanta's 34-yard line.
Mariota keeps it on the read-option and gets three yards. Mariota hands it off to Allgeier on second down and he loses two yards. On third and nine, Mariota completes the pass to Damiere Byrd for 1yards and a first down.
Mariota rolls right and his pass to Byrd is incomplete after he can't get both feet in bounds. Mariota keeps it on the RPO and completes the pass to KhaDarel Hodge for 12 yards.
Allgeier gets the carry on first down but barely gets back to the line of scrimmage. Patterson gets the toss from Mariota and only gains a yard. On third and nine, Mariota escapes pressure and completes the pass to Pitts for a first down, but it's negated by a holding call on Colby Gossett. Mariota has to escape pressure and he heaves it downfield and a potential interception by Xavier Woods is dropped.
Pinion's punt is caught at Carolina's nine-yard line where Shi Smith calls for a fair catch.
Change of possession.
Walker completes a pass to Moore but it loses a yard. On second and 11, Foreman runs for 14 yards and a first down.
Walker completes a short pass to Laviska Shenault and he turns it into an eight-yard gain. On second and two, Walker completes a swing pass to Shenault and he only gains a yard on the final play of the first quarter.
End of the quarter.
Second Quarter:
On third and one, Walker sneaks it and gains three yards for a first down.
Foreman gets the carry on first down and runs for four yards. Foreman runs for 10 yards on second down.
Foreman gets the ball again and runs for two yards. On second and eight, Chuba Hubbard gets his first carry of the game and gains four yards. On third and four, Walker completes a pass to Moore for nine yards and a first down.
Blackshear gets the carry on first down and runs for five yards. Foreman gets another carry and runs for six yards and a first down at Atlanta's 26-yard line.
Foreman gets the handoff and loses two yards. Ta'Quon Graham is down and being attended to by the training staff. A false start moves Carolina back five yards. On second and 17, Hubbard runs for five yards. Before third and 12, the Panthers take their first timeout of the game with 8:55 left in the half. On third and 12, multiple Falcons sack Walker for a seven-yard loss. Carolina takes a delay of game but the penalty is declined.
Johnny Hekker's punt is downed at Atlanta's three-yard line with 7:43 left in the half.
Change of possession.
Allgeier gets the handoff on first down and gains three yards. Allgeier gets another carry and gains three yards again. On third and four, Allgeier gets stopped just short of a first down.
Pinion's punt is shanked and goes out of bounds at Atlanta's 43-yard line with 5:26 left in the half.
Change of possession.
Walker checks it down to Giovanni Ricci and it only gains two yards. On second and eight, Walker throws a swing pass to Shenault and he runs it 41-yards for a touchdown.
Pineiro's extra point is good with 4:34 left in the half.
Panthers 10, Falcons 0
Change of possession.
Atlanta begins its drive at the 25-yard line after the touchback.
Mariota scrambles but his pass is incomplete. On second and 10, Mariota is under more pressure and his deep pass gets intercepted by Jaycee Horn. Horn runs it back to Atlanta's 45-yard line.
Change of possession.
Foreman gets the handoff and runs for five yards. Foreman gets another carry and gains four yards. On third and one, Hubbard gets the carry and runs for three yards.
Foreman gets the handoff on first down and runs for four yards. The game has reached the two-minute warning. Foreman gets another carry and he loses a yard. Atlanta calls its first timeout of the game with 1:55 left in the half. On third and seven, Hubbard gets the carry and loses two yards. The Falcons call their second timeout with 1:52 left in the half.
Pineiro comes out to kick a 49-yard field goal and it's good.
Panthers 13, Falcons 0
Change of possession.
Pineiro's kick is a touchback.
Mariota completes the pass to Drake London for 14 yards as he takes a hit to the helmet. Woods is flagged for unnecessary roughness which adds 15 yards.
Avery Williams gets the carry and runs for six yards. Mariota completes the pass to Olamide Zaccheaus for a first down.
Williams gets another carry and runs for 12 yards.
Mariota completes a short pass to London and he gains five yards. Atlanta calls its final timeout with 20 seconds left in the half. Mariota throws a short pass to Patterson and only gains two yards. Mariota spikes the ball with three seconds left in the half.
Younghoe Koo's 33-yard field goal is good as the first half comes to a close.
Panthers 13, Falcons 3
Halftime.
Third Quarter:
Carolina gets the ball at its 25-yard line to start the second half. Walker rolls right and completes the pass to Terrace Marshall and fumbles after he's hit by Richie Grant. Rashaan Evans recovers it and he's thrown out of bounds by Smith.
After further discussion, the refs say the pass was incomplete but Smith is flagged for unnecessary roughness. Carolina moves back 12 yards and loses a down.
Foreman gains six yards on a run and Walker's pass is incomplete on third down.
Hekker's punt goes out of bounds at Atlanta's 29-yard line.
Change of possession.
Patterson runs for three yards on first down. On second and seven, Mariots is under pressure then runs 26-yards for a first down. A holding call on Horn adds five yards to the end of the play.
Patterson gets another carry and gains nine yards. Allgeier bounces off of a defender and runs for eight yards. A holding call on Parker Hesse moves the Falcons back 10 yards. On second and 14, Mariota's pass to London gains five yards. On third and nine, Mariota is under pressure and runs out of bounds after losing five yards.
Pinion's punt is downed at Carolina's two-yard line.
Change of possession.
A false start moves Carolina back a yard. Foreman gains a yard and Ikem Ekwonu is flagged for holding but it's declined. Foreman gains a yard on second down, then five more on third down.
Hekker's punt is caught by Williams at Atlanta's 45-yard line. He runs it to the Panthers' 42-yard line with 9:01 left in the third quarter.
Change of possession.
Mariota's pass to Pitts is too high and falls incomplete. Mariota throws into traffic on second down and it also falls incomplete. Donte Jackson is called for pass interference and that gives Atlanta a first down at Carolina's 31-yard line.
Allgeier gains six yards on first down. Mariota hands it off to Allgeier again and he runs for six yards and a first down.
Huntley gets the carry and runs for 11 yards to make it first and goal.
Huntley gets another carry but only gains a yard. On second and goal from the seven-yard line, Mariota throws it up to London and he catches it for a touchdown. An unnecessary roughness penalty on Carolina will be enforced on the kickoff.
Koo's extra point is wide right and misses with 6:15 left in the third quarter.
Panthers 13, Falcons 9
Change of possession.
Carolina will begin the drive at its 16-yard line.
Hubbard runs for three yards on first down. Walker fakes the handoff, then completes the pass to Marshall, who breaks multiple tackles and turns it into a 43-yard gain.
Blackshear gains eight yards on the ground. Foreman runs for three yards but a holding call negates the run. Walker completes a 17-yard pass to Smith for a first down.
Walker keeps it on the read-option and runs for eight yards. On second and two, Foreman runs for three yards and a first down at Atlanta's 12-yard line.
Foreman runs right and breaks multiple tackles for a 12-yard touchdown run.
The extra point by Pineiro is wide right with 1:51 left in the third quarter.
Panthers 19, Falcons 9
Change of possession.
Atlanta begins the drive at its 25-yard line after the touchback.
Mariota fakes the handoff then completes the pass to Zaccheaus who breaks multiple tackles and turns it into a 28-yard gain.
Allgeier gains a yard on first down. Mariota is under pressure and throws it to Allgeier who loses seven yards on the final play of the third quarter.
End of the quarter.
Fourth Quarter:
On third and 16, Mariota's pass intended for Pitts is incomplete.
Pinion's punt goes out of bounds at Carolina's 24-yard line.
Change of possession.
Foreman breaks a big gain for 26-yards and a holding call on defense adds on five yards.
Foreman gets another carry and runs for three yards. Walker throws a swing pass to Shenault and he gains six yards. On third and one, Blackshear runs for four yards and a first down.
Foreman gets the handoff and avoids multiple defenders to gain nine yards. Foreman gets another carry and is stopped at the line of scrimmage. Walker keeps it on third and one and gets three yards on the QB sneak.
Ekwonu jumps early for a false start. Blackshear gains four yards on first down. Walker completes a swing pass to Shnault and he only gains three yards. On third and eight, Walker is under pressure and his pass is nearly picked off before falling incomplete.
Pineiro comes out to kick a 40-yard field goal and it's good with 9:22 left in the game.
Panthers 22, Falcons 9
Change of possession.
Patterson returns the kickoff to Atlanta's 27-yard line.
Mariota completes the pass to Mychal Pruitt for six yards. Huntley gets the handoff on second down and runs for 15 yards.
Huntley gets another handoff and runs for six yards. Mariota's pass that's intended for Pitts is nearly intercepted before falling incomplete. On third and four, Mariota is sacked by Frankie Luvu for a loss of six yards. Before Atlanta goes for it on fourth and 10, Carolina calls its first timeout of the second half with 7:36 left in the game. On fourth and 10, Brian Burns sacks Mariota to end the drive.
Change of possession.
Foreman runs for two yards on first down. Foreman gets another carry and loses three yards. On third and 11, Walker completes a pass to Moore for just a yard.
Hekker's punt is downed at Atlanta's four-yard line with 5:18 left in the game.
Change of possession.
Mariota's pass on first down is incomplete. Mariota completes a pass to London for six yards on second down. On third and four, Mariota scrambles for 13 yards and a first down.
Mariota throws a low pass to Allgeier and he's tackled for a six-yard loss. Mariota avoids pressure and throws it across his body to Byrd for 17 yards.
Mariota completes another pass to Byrd for 18 yards.
Mariota throws over the middle of the field to Pitts for 18 yards to Carolina's 25-yard line.
Mariota goes deep and finds Hodge wide-open in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown.
The extra point by Koo is no good with 2:56 left in the game.
Panthers 22, Falcons 15
Change of possession.
Carolina begins the drive at its 25-yard line after the touchback.
Foreman gains three yards on first down. Atlanta calls its first timeout with 2:50 left in the game. Foreman gets another carry and he loses a yard. The Falcons call their second timeout with 2:46 left. On third and eight, Walker's pass is nearly intercepted by Richie Grant before falling incomplete.
Williams takes the punt from Hekker to Atlanta's 34-yard line.
Change of possession.
Williams loses a yard on the carry. Mariota avoids pressure, then gets sacked by Marquis Haynes Sr. for a nine-yard loss as the game reaches the two-minute warning. On third and 19, Mariota's pass intended for Zaccheaus is incomplete. On fourth and 19, Haynes sacks Mariota to end the drive at Atlanta's 19-yard line.
Change of possession.
Foreman runs for four yards and Atlanta takes its final timeout with 1:45 left in the game. Foreman runs for five yards on second down. On third and one, Foreman runs for six yards but Ekwonu is called for a holding penalty. On third and 11, Foreman runs for a yard. Carolina calls its second timeout with 14 seconds left in the game.
Pineiro attempts a 37-yard field goal and it's good with 10 seconds left in the game.
Panthers 25, Falcons 15
Change of possession.
Atlanta begins the drive at its 20-yard line with four seconds left to play.
Williams runs for eight yards and that's the end of the ballgame.
Final: Panthers 25, Falcons 15
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