Midweek musings ...

A visiting teams leaving Green Bay with a loss is as common as snow at Lambeau Field -- and both happened last Sunday. It was the second loss in three games for the Carolina Panthers and a missed opportunity to further narrow the gap between the NFC South-leading New Orleans Saints.

Still, seven chances remain to overcome that 24-16 loss in the snow, as well as the 0-2 opening to 2019. And that seven-game season starts this week with a divisional game against against the Atlanta Falcons.

Here are five things to consider as gameday approaches at Bank of America Stadium (Sunday, 1 PM ET on FOX, Panthers -5.5):

• This will be the 49th meeting between the teams, with Atlanta having a 30-edge. The Falcons have six of the last seven games against the Panthers, including a current run of three straight. 

• Carolina's defense could be getting an early Christmas gift. The Panthers are at the bottom of the NFL defensive rankings against the run, allowing a league-worst 5.2 yards per rush 17 rushing touchdowns. That includes a 163-yard effort by Green Bay last weekend during which the Packers averaged 6.0 yards a carry. But the Falcons have rushed for only 691 yards this season (29th in the NFL) while averaging 3.8 yards a carry and scoring three touchdowns on the ground.

• The Panthers' banged up secondary, however, could have its work cut out for it. Atlanta is averaging 300.9 yards a game through the air (2nd), led by quarterback Matt Ryan's 2,352 yards on 222 of 320 passing. Ryan -- who threw for 377 yards, two touchdowns and an interception during Atlanta's win over New Orleans -- has 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions on the season. Cornerbacks Ross Cockrell (quad) and Donte Jackson (hip) didn't practice Wednesday and listed on the week's first injury report. James Bradberry did practice, however, after sitting out Carolina's loss at Green Bay with a groin injury. The Panthers also reacquired cornerback Corn Elder off of the New York Giants practice squad.

• It will be interesting to see how Kyle Allen follows up his performance at Lambeau Field. Allen had solid numbers against the Packers (28-of-43, 307 yards, one touchdown, one interception), but more impressively has Carolina in position to possibly tie on its final possession before Christian McCaffrey was stopped less than a yard from the goal line. The flip side is Allen also had an interception that halted a promising Carolina drive and a lost fumble that Green Bay eventually turned into a touchdown.

• Will we continue to see a renaissance for Greg Olsen? The veteran tight end had 98 yards receiving on eight catches against the Packers, including career receptions Nos. 700 and 701. He was targeted a season-high 10 times by Allen (more than the previous two games combined) and caught three passes for 32 yards on Carolina's final drive of the game -- two of which produced first downs.