Panthers at Falcons: How to Watch (Another Win?)
The Atlanta Falcons have won three of their last four games to even their record at 3-3, while the Carolina Panthers have lost four in a row after a 3-0 start.
The Panthers make the short drive down I-85 from Charlotte to visit Mercedes-Benz stadium on Sunday. How to watch, listen, and stream Panthers vs. Falcons.
Who: Carolina Panthers (3-4) vs. Atlanta Falcons (3-3)
When: Sunday, Oct. 31, 1 p.m. EST
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.
TV: FOX (Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez)
Radio: 92.9 FM The Game
Stream: FUBO.tv, FOX Sports App
Money Line: Atlanta -163 (bet $163 to win $100), Carolina +138 (bet $100 to win $138)
Spread: Atlanta -3.0, O/U 45.5
Latest Lines via SI Sports Book
After starting the season 3-0, the Panthers took a nosedive to drop their next four. While not all of the blame can be laid at the feet of a quarterback, the Panthers fortunes have mirrored the play of Sam Darnold, who was acquired in an offseason trade and anointed the starter.
Darnold started well enough with quarterback ratings of 102.0, 99.1, and 95.7 as the Panthers got off to a 3-0 start. But his play, like his team, took a drastic wrong turn.
Darnold has a quarterback rating of 85.5, 44.5, 55.6, and 57.4 in Carolina's four-game losing streak. He has four touchdowns, seven interceptions, and has been sacked 15 times in that span.
Darnold was so bad in a 25-3 loss against the New York Giants, he was benched for P.J. Walker. The backup was even worse, going 3 of 14 passing for 33 yards and was sacked three times.
Darnold's quarterback rating for the season is 77.5, or right in line with his 78.6 career rating in three years with the New York Jets. His 77.5 rating puts him 29th in the NFL and last among quarterbacks who aren't rookies.
For the Falcons, quarterback Matt Ryan has played some of the best football of his career during that same four-game stretch. Not coincidentally, the Falcons have gone 3-1. Since his three interception game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, Ryan has thrown 10 touchdowns against only one pick.
His season quarterback rating of 96.8 places him just 18th in the NFL, but his last four games he has had ratings of 111.2, 111.5, 109.7, and 95.4.
This weekend's matchup should be a good test for both quarterbacks. Carolina has the second-ranked pass defense to slow down Ryan, while Darnold will try to get right against the Falcons 19th ranked pass defense.
It's strength vs. strength and weakness vs. weakness, which helps explain the oddsmakers making the Falcons only a slight favorite in Sunday's game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
