Dominique Franks’ baptism by fire will continue Sunday in Charlotte.
After facing Houston’s Andre Johnson on Sunday, he won’t get a week off with Carolina’s Steve Smith, who is tied for second in the NFL with 1,092 yards receiving.
The Falcons’ defensive backs cover sides of the field, so Franks will not follow Smith around. But the Panthers are certain to put Smith into some one-on-one situations with the promising second-year cornerback.
Franks was solid in his first NFL start, but didn’t make a play on the ball on a 50-yard pass to Johnson.
Also, when Franks slides inside to the slot in the nickel defense, the Panthers will likely try to find Christopher Owens.
“It’s going to be a big challenge for both of those guys,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “Steve Smith has 61 catches. I think he and Cam [Newton] have really connected.”
Smith needs 24 more yards receiving to reach 10,000 for his career. The Falcons, with some heavy-handed double coverage, held the Carolina wide receiver to five catches for 66 yards and no touchdowns Oct. 16. He was shut down for most of the game, as 37 of those yards came with less than two minutes to play and the Falcons ahead 31-17.
“They’re going to move Steve around, so everybody’s going to have an opportunity to defend him,” Mike Smith said. “He’s not going to always line up in the same place. We anticipate that we’ll see him in many different alignments, simply because they want to try to get him in what they feel like will be the best matchup.”
Smith has slowed since a strong start to the season. He had five 100-yard games in the Panthers’ first eight games. He has not surpassed 100 yards receiving in their past four games.
About the Author
