The Carolina Panthers hit the road Sunday looking for their first win of the young season as they renew their NFC South rivalry with the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Both teams enter the matchup at 0-1. Carolina is coming off a wild 59-37 loss to the Chicago Bears, while Atlanta dropped its season opener 20-13 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Despite the loss, the Panthers showed plenty of offensive firepower in Week One. Quarterback Bryce Young threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns, while also adding a rushing touchdown. The challenge this week will be getting the defense back on track after Carolina surrendered 59 points and 552 total yards against Chicago.
One of the biggest questions surrounding Atlanta is who will be under center. The Falcons entered the week with Michael Penix Jr., Cooper Rush and Tua Tagovailoa all appearing on the injury report. Penix and Rush were full participants in Wednesday’s practice, while Tagovailoa did not practice because of an oblique injury. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said the team was still working through its quarterback decision.
Regardless of who starts at quarterback, the Panthers will have to find a way to slow down Atlanta’s ground game and Bijan Robinson, especially after Carolina allowed 291 rushing yards in its opener. Meanwhile, Carolina will look to keep its own offense rolling against a Falcons defense that surrendered only 20 points and 264 total yards in Week One.
It’s an early-season divisional battle with both teams looking to avoid an 0-2 start. The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons kick off Sunday at 1 p.m. from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
You can listen to the game starting with the Panthers pregame show immediately following our church services on KOOL 102.7. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
