What Arthur Smith Said About the Carolina Panthers

Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith previews the game against the Carolina Panthers.

Author:
Schuyler Callihan
Dec 16, 2023 8:59 AM EST

In this story:

Initial thoughts on facing the Panthers again

"I feel pretty good about the way they ran the ball (last week). They kind of changed a little bit of the style from what they were doing. Defensively, I think they're playing solid. I think Derrick Brown is good as anybody inside and we got to block him. It'll start there. We have our work cut out for us, it's the NFL. We all know that now this is the most important game of the season."

The Panthers' struggles

"This will be a huge challenge for us. Easy thing to do is look at a record and I get it, they've had a coaching change, there's a lot of stuff going on up there but this is a very, very good defense. They've consistently shown that. The numbers show it. This isn't me trying to hype up anything. It's the reality of it. In the game against New Orleans, it's a one possession game until late."

Bryce Young's struggles

"He's a very talented player. I mean, everybody in the country saw that when Bryce was coming out. That's why he won the Heisman. It doesn't mean you're going to have success in the NFL, but it's not all on him either. You need a lot to be a successful quarterback. It is a team sport. You do need help. He's a very talented player and a lot of good football left ahead."

Not overlooking Carolina

"If you let that kind of thing creep into your mind. It's such a funny thing in human psychology because it's the National Football League. I mean, just look at this past weekend's games. That's the life in the NFL. There's a lot of close games. Carolina has been in a lot of close games. This will be a challenge like they all are."