Next opponent for Falcons: A quick look at Bryce Young and the Panthers
FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons, who are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, are set to host the Panthers in what essentially is an NFC South knockout game at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The loser’s playoff hopes will be significantly reduced.
The Falcons (3-6) lost to the Panthers (5-5), who are coming off a loss at home to the Saints, 30-0 on Sept. 21 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Both teams have had their moments this season.
Just two weeks ago, the Panthers beat the Packers 16-13 in Green Bay. They also have wins over the Cowboys, Dolphins and Jets.
“Wasn’t just the Green Bay game,” Panthers coach Dave Canales told media members in Carolina on Monday. “We’ve won games this year playing good, complete football games. Defense, offense, special teams. That’s how we’ve found success.”
Running back Rico Dowdle, who has rushed 149 times for 788 yards and five touchdowns, has powered the offense while quarterback Bryce Young continues to struggle with the deep passing game.
“What has led to our success?” Canales said. “It starts with the run game on both sides and playing it better.”
Young, despite the team adding receivers in the past two drafts, is not a passing force. He has completed 166 of 269 passes (61.7%) for 1,514 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has a passer rating of 79.8.
The Panthers average 164 yards passing per game, which ranks 30th in the NFL. They average 5.36 yards per pass play, which ranks 29th.
The Panthers want to get more passing production to go with Dowdle and running back Chuba Hubbard.
“Where we can be special is when we take strides in the pass game on offense so that we can be balanced and explosive,” Canales said. “Flip the field to give us more opportunities down there in the red zone.”
The Panthers drafted wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 draft. Wide receiver Xavier Legette was taken in the first round (32nd overall) in 2024.
“We have a bunch of metrics we look at for where the targets are happening in success,” Canales said. “In general, this is a group effort, starting with the coaching staff, as we put game plans together to get our guys in the right positions and make sure that the pass game reflects what Bryce does with confidence.”
McMillan has 46 catches for 618 yards and two touchdowns. Legette has 20 catches for 181 yards and two touchdowns.
“That’s really where our focus has been and will continue to be so we can get this group playing together and feeling that chemistry,” Canales said. “There’s flashes of it, but it’s not consistent enough for where we want.”
Young completed 16 of 24 passes for 121 yards with no passing TDs or interceptions in the previous meeting with Atlanta.
The Panthers’ defensive charge is led by defensive tackle Derrick Brown, a former AJC Super 11 star from Lanier High. He’s tied with rookie Nic Scourton for the team lead in sacks, with three. Outside linebackers Scourton and D.J. Wonnum (Stephenson High) are playing well, with Brown wrecking havoc inside.
Cornerback Jaycee Horn leads the Panthers with three interceptions. In the previous meeting, cornerback Chau Smith-Wade stepped in front of a swing pass intended for Bijan Robinson and returned the interception 11 yards for a touchdown to make the score 17-0.
It was a knockout punch that zapped the life out of the Falcons.
The Panthers also have dangerous returners in Trevor Etienne and Hubbard. They averaged 27 yards per return against the Saints. Etienne, who played at Georgia, handles the punt returns.
The Falcons started by studying the Panthers’ defensive fronts.
“Then obviously on offense, they’ve got Rico and their run game really going,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “They’ve done a nice job in that area. That’s really kind of carried them and been their identity since about Week 5 or so.”
The Panthers average 133.1 yards rushing per game, which ranks eighth in the league. The Falcons give up 146.4 yards rushing per game, which ranks 29th.
This will be the 62nd meeting between the teams. The Falcons lead the series 37-24. The last time one of the teams swept the season series was when the Falcons did it in 2019.
“Next-game mentality,” Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier said. “We’ve got Carolina coming up. It’s a really good team. They are rolling right now, too. They have stuff to prove just as much as we do. It should be good.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
