Falcons at Panthers: Three key matchups
Falcons LT Will Svitek vs. Panthers DEs Charles Johnson/Greg Hardy: Svitek, who has taken over for Sam Baker, was not a starter in the Week 6 game at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons are concerned about Johnson and Hardy, who will flip-flop sides during the game. Johnson has 8.5 sacks and Hardy has three. "We have to take care of those edge guys and keep them out of Matt [Ryan's] face," Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey said. "They are playing hard. There is no doubt that [Carolina coach] Ron [Rivera] has got those guys going."
Falcons OLB Mike Peterson vs. Panthers QB Cam Newton: Peterson is expected to start for Stephen Nicholas. In the previous meeting, Nicholas was responsible for Newton on bootlegs and some running plays. Newton rushed six times for 50 yards, mostly on scrambles. Peterson, 35, and in his 13th season in the NFL, is a fierce hitter. Newton has rushed for 518 yards on 100 carries and has scored an NFL-record 13 quarterback rushing touchdowns.
Falcons MLB Curtis Lofton vs. Panthers RBs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams: Lofton leads the Falcons in tackles with 111. Williams leads the Panthers in rushing with 589 yards on 119 carries. Stewart has 522 yards on 107 carries. Both have three rushing touchdowns. Last week, the Falcons allowed a 100-yard rusher for the first time in 15 games. Before Houston's Arian Foster ran for 111 yards on them, the previous running back to rush for more than 100 yards against the Falcons was Stewart.
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.
