Falcons DE/OLB Vic Beasley vs. Carolina RT Darull Williams: Beasley is having a breakthrough season as he leads the NFL is sacks (14.5) and forced fumbles (six). He will play defensive end in the nickel and was seen spying San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick from linebacker last week. Trai Turner, a Pro Bowl guard, slid out to right tackle when Williams went down in the Oakland game. Turner moves back inside to guard as Williams returns from a high ankle sprain.
Falcons RB Devonta Freeman vs. Panthers LB A.J. Klein: A week after being held to 6 yards on six carries, Freeman was named the NFC offensive player of the week for his performance against San Francisco. He rushed 20 times for 139 yards (7.0 per carry) and three touchdowns. He has 12 total touchdowns, which is tied for fifth in the NFL. Pro Bowl middle linebacker Luke Kuechly was cleared through the concussion protocol, but Klein continued to man the spot for the Panthers against Washington. He had five tackles and one for a loss against the Redskins.
Falcons wide receivers vs. Panthers cornerbacks: Falcons All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones had 12 catches for 300 yards against the Panthers on Oct. 2. Early in the season, the Panthers' revamped secondary without Josh Norman was clearly having problems. Promising rookies James Bradberry and Daryl Worley start for the Panthers. Bradberry, a second-round pick from Samford, is the left cornerback, and Worley, a third-round pick from West Virginia, plays on the right side. Taylor Gabriel, Aldrick Robinson and Mohamed Sanu have all stepped up to replace Jones the past two games.
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