Panthers vs. Falcons Notebook: 3 Observations From Atlanta's OT Win
The Atlanta Falcons are sending the fans home happy from Mercedes-Benz Stadium after a 37-34 win over the Carolina Panthers Sunday afternoon.
The win puts the Falcons in first place in the NFC South with a 4-4 record. The New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one game back at 3-5, while the Panthers fell to 2-6 after today's loss.
The Falcons' win didn't come easy from their NFC South rival and they definitely earned this win that could be the difference-maker at the end of the season.
Here's a look at three observations from Atlanta ...
Welcome Back, Kyle Pitts!
Kyle Pitts played one of his best games of the season for the Falcons today, catching five passes for 80 yards and a touchdown.
Pitts has had an incredibly quiet season, but the No. 4 overall pick from last year's draft was a little bit louder today.
If Pitts can continue to see targets and be used more like he was today, the Falcons will be better off in the long run. Hopefully today's performance forces Arthur Smith and the offense to utilize him a little more.
No Grilling For Foreman
The defensive line didn't provide a ton of pressure for the Panthers backfield. With Christian McCaffrey traded and Chuba Hubbard injured, all eyes were on D'Onta Foreman, and he delivered for the Panthers.
Foreman led the offense with 23 carries, 112 yards and three touchdowns. During the broadcast, Foreman received Derrick Henry comparisons, and while he hasn't had the opportunity to show the same consistency the Tennessee Titans back provides, he certainly showed the power.
He was difficult to tackle and gave the Falcons' front seven fits all afternoon. Given the fact that the secondary is depleted, the defensive line and linebackers needed to step up.
Even though the Falcons won, the game could've been a blowout if the defense found a way to contain Foreman.
Offense Comes In Clutch, Defense Doesn't
Even after the Panthers scored a go-ahead touchdown with just over three minutes to go, the Falcons didn't panic. Marcus Mariota threw three passes on the game-winning drive, one each to Tyler Allgeier (16 yards), Drake London (17 yards) and Damiere Byrd (48-yard touchdown). Allgeier, London and Byrd all did a fantastic job gaining yards after the catch to extend the field.
But the offense left over two minutes for the Panthers to respond with a field goal.
However, the defense did their part and limited Carolina on its final big offensive possession. Rashaan Evans' sack of P.J. Walker on third down forced 4th & long and all but sealed the game for the Falcons.
But the defense could not finish the job after allowing a 62-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore with 12 seconds left in the game. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed the extra-point try back and led to a miss to tie the game.
In overtime, even though Mariota threw an interception on the opening drive, the Falcons received some luck from the football gods when Eddy Piñeiro missed another kick that would have won the game.
Mariota and the offense knew they could not screw up a second chance, and the unit sealed the game with an 8-play, 60-yard drive that ended in a Younghoe Koo game-winning field goal.
With the win, the Falcons are back to .500 and sit atop the NFC South standings. However, there are two teams just one game back on Atlanta's tail, and the Falcons are going to have to continue this upward trajectory if the team wants to make the playoffs for the first time in five years.
The Falcons are back in action next Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers at home. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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