CAROLINA (7-10) at ATLANTA (7-10)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, FOX
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NFL LINE: Falcons by 3 1/2.
SERIES RECORD: Falcons lead 35-21.
LAST MEETING: Panthers beat Falcons 25-15 on Nov. 10, 2022, at Charlotte, N.C.
PANTHERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (29), RUSH (10), PASS (29), SCORING (20)
PANTHERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (22), RUSH (18), PASS (22), SCORING (19)
FALCONS OFFENSE: OVERALL (24), RUSH (3), PASS (31), SCORING (T-15)
FALCONS DEFENSE: OVERALL (27), RUSH (23), PASS (25), SCORING (23)
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Panthers minus-4; Falcons minus-4.
PANTHERS PLAYER TO WATCH: Panthers QB Bryce Young is expected to become the 18th No. 1 overall pick to start Week 1 since 1970. The bad news for Carolina is the other top picks were a combined 3-13-1 in their debuts as starters. Panthers coach Frank Reich knows there will be some growing pains with throwing Young to the wolves right away but called it an “easy decision.” Reich says Young is “unflappable.” Look for Young to spread the ball around with short catch-and-run type passes to his receivers, many of those coming over the middle.
FALCONS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Desmond Ridder was 2-2 in his audition as a starter to close the 2022 season. That was enough for him to be declared the starter in 2023, but he faces pressure to prove he can handle the job. Unlike Young, who has job security as the No. 1 pick, Ridder was a third-round pick in 2022 and must prove he can add passing balance to an offense that leaned on the running game last season. The Falcons' streak of five straight losing seasons puts an added burden on the young quarterback. Ridder has shown good poise but he will be judged on his ability to utilize two recent first-round picks — tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London — to boost the passing game. Veteran Taylor Heinicke was signed as Ridder's backup.
KEY MATCHUP: Falcons RB Bijan Robinson vs. Panthers 3-4 defense: Robinson was the eighth overall pick this year and is expected to take the lead role, even though Tyler Allgeier topped 1,000 yards as a rookie last season and Cordarrelle Patterson also returns. Robinson will face a Carolina defense that switched to a 3-4 scheme under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Carolina’s run defense struggled at times in the preseason, so Robinson potentially could be in for a big day.
KEY INJURIES: Carolina's depth at wide receiver could be tested. D.J. Clark (hamstring), Terrace Marshall Jr. (back), Adam Thielen (ankle) and Ihmir Smith-Marsette (ankle) were on the injury report, though Smith-Marsette had full participation on Wednesday. The absence of Chark, the team’s leading deep threat who missed practice on Wednesday, could mean the Panthers may not take many shots down the field. ... Panthers LB Sam Franklin Jr. was limited by a knee injury. ... The Falcons have not ruled out CB Jeff Okudah returning from a foot injury.
SERIES NOTES: The teams split their two regular-season games last season, each winning at home. It was the third straight year the teams have split their regular-season series.
STATS AND STUFF: Reich started the expansion Panthers’ first regular-season game at quarterback against the Falcons in 1995 in Atlanta. Now, 28 years later, he’s returned to Carolina and will coach his first game for the Panthers in Atlanta. ... The Panthers and Falcons have not made the postseason since 2017. ... Carolina has essentially revamped all of its offensive skill positions with Young, Miles Sanders (from Philadelphia) at RB, Thielen (Minnesota) and Chark (Detroit) at WR and Hayden Hurst (Cincinnati) at TE. ... The Panthers view Sanders as a three-down back, but expect backup Chuba Hubbard to get some work. ... Panthers OLB Brian Burns had 12½ sacks last season and was selected to his second Pro Bowl. ... Carolina bolstered its pass rush with the addition of OLB Justin Houston as a pass-rush specialist. .. K Eddy Pineiro was the league’s second-most accurate field goal kicker last season making 94.3% (33 of 35) of his attempts. However, he struggled in one early season loss at Atlanta where he missed a go-ahead extra point at the end of regulation and a field goal in overtime. ... Atlanta's new-look defense includes such additions as Okudah, veteran end Calais Campbell, free safety Jessie Bates III, nose tackle David Onyemata and linebackers Bud Dupree and Kaden Elliss. ... Campbell leads active players with 165 tackles for loss and is sixth with 99 sacks. ... London set Falcons rookie record with 72 catches in 2022. ... LT Jake Matthews has 144 consecutive starts and will pass former C Todd McClure (2001-10) for the second-longest streak in team history behind QB Matt Ryan's 147 from 2009-19.
FANTASY TIP: Pitts had 68 catches for 1,026 yards as a rookie in 2021 before a knee injury limited him to 10 games in a disappointing 2022 season. Pitts should be a natural fit for Ridder, who appears to be more comfortable when throwing shorter passes. Pitts' quiet 2022 made him an afterthought in some fantasy projections, but he could re-emerge with a big game against a Panthers defense which likely will be looking to stop the run.
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