Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers
The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers meet-up in a very important NFC South contest in Week 9 at the beautiful Bank of America Stadium. The Dirty Birds are coming into this game as winners of their last three games against Cam Newton and the Panthers. However, none of that matters this weekend, as whoever wins this game earns a huge advantage in the standings.
If you’re a fan of great quarterbacks, then this is definitely a game that is must-watch TV. No, neither Matt Ryan or Cam Newton has played exceptionally well in 2017, but that can all change in one weekend.
That said, take a look at two takeaways for each team in Week 9.
Falcons Keys to Victory:
Execute: This is the exact same point I brought up last week for the Falcons, and I’ll most definitely bring it up again. Sure, there’s some truth to the argument that Steve Sarkisian is struggling to make in-game adjustments, but there has also been a ton of times where Matt Ryan has failed to connect on throws to open receivers as well.
This season has been one where the Falcons have been their own worst enemies, which is why they lost three-straight to the Bills, Dolphins and Patriots. Not to mention, for the first time in a month, Atlanta will be facing a defensive-line that isn’t elite, so the biggest X-factor on Sunday is literally whether this offense can execute when they get the chance to sustain drives.
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Force Panthers to Early Three-and-Outs: In the Falcons last three games against the Panthers, the biggest difference between the two teams has been how each quarterback has reacted to failure. While Cam Newton is easily one of the most entertaining quarterbacks in the league, his body language on the field is miserably bad.
Each and every time a team forces early three-and-outs from the Carolina offense, Newton starts to make bad decisions, which leads into interceptions and sack-fumbles. Needless to say, in a game that Atlanta desperately needs to win this weekend, they must stifle the Panthers offense early and often.
Panthers Keys to Victory
Protect the Football: I’ll go ahead and say it: the Panthers are pretty darn lucky to be 5-3 after having one of the worst turnover differentials in all of football. This offense is nearly averaging two turnovers per game, which means this team is playing with fire. Frankly, I don’t care how talented your football team is, losing the turnover battle each weekend is extremely hard to overcome. That said, if they want to pick up their sixth win of the season this weekend, they must protect the ball.
Limit Big Plays: If turnovers haven’t been the problem against the Falcons since 2015, it’s been big plays. Whether it’s been Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman running all over them or Julio Jones casually picking up 300 receiving yards, huge-yardage plays have been Carolina’s kryptonite against Atlanta.
With Luke Kuechly back in the mix at linebacker, the Panthers should have an easier time getting to Matt Ryan. However, if the Falcons offensive line has a good day at the office, it’ll be another long day for Carolina’s defense.
Odds
Point Spread: Carolina -2.5
Moneyline: Atlanta -110, Carolina -110
Over/Under: 44
Next: NFL 2017: 20 Bold predictions for Week 9
Prediction
At the end of the day, I just believe the Falcons are coming into this game with more to lose than the Panthers. This Atlanta football team has been to hades and back this season, and they are just now playing their eighth game of the year. That said, this Falcons squad is, arguably, much more tested heading into Week 9 than Carolina.
Pick: Atlanta Falcons: 27, Carolina Panthers: 20