How the Panthers Can Beat the Falcons in Week 1

What will it take for the Carolina Panthers to win the season opener against the Falcons in Atlanta? Glad you asked. Here are your three keys to the game.

Burns has to play

This is going to be an uphill battle for the Carolina front seven if they don't have Brian Burns on the field. Atlanta has one of the top offensive line units in the NFL, so I'm not sure how a rotation of Yetur Gross-Matos, Amaré Barno, and DJ Johnson would fare in generating a pass rush. Without Burns, it will be struggle.

Make it easy for Bryce Young

I know the Panthers held back a lot in the preseason in terms of what they'll do offensively, but there's no reason to get overcomplicated in this one. Yes, Bryce Young is more mature thank most rookies and isn't as likely to get rattled, but at the end of the day he's still making his first start. Run the ball on early downs to set up third and manageable to stay ahead of the chains. With DJ Chark out and Adam Thielen (ankle) listed as questionable, it's going to be critical that Carolina finds success on the ground.

Make Desmond Ridder beat you

We all know Arthur Smith wants to run the football to death. With that offensive line and the backs that he has, it makes sense. But if Carolina can clog up running lanes and force Smith to air it out with Ridder, advantage goes to the Panthers' secondary. This is the healthiest the third level of the defense has been for Carolina in quite some time and you could argue it's the best group of talent they've had in several years with the addition of Vonn Bell.

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