Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers: Predicting the Final Score
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
It is safe to say that the NFC South is the worst division in the NFL. The New Orleans Saints lead the division with a 4-5 record, but both the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers are not far behind. With both of these teams matching up in Week 11, the team that comes out victorious this week will have their hopes set on a division title.
Atlanta heads into this game at 3-6, but they are also coming off a big win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On top of that, the Falcons are 3-0 against divisional opponents in 2014, giving them a potential advantage on tiebreakers, down the road. Atlanta clearly has deficiencies on defense, and as a result, will need quarterback Matt Ryan to play at a MVP-caliber if the team wants to compete for a playoff spot. Ryan will need to rely on receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White even more than he already has, and that will need to start this week in Carolina.
The Panthers are playing absolutely terrible football. Coming off a 45-21 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, which was not even that close, Carolina simply seems lost. Head coach Ron Rivera says quarterback Cam Newton is not injured, but he is clearly not the same player from previous years. He has been extremely hesitant to pull the ball down to run, and when he has also shown an inability to outrun defenders, when in the past Newton had little issue doing so.
To go along with Newton’s poor play, the Panthers also really do not have many playmakers. Pass-catchers Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen are the focal points of the offense, but in no way do those guys scare opposing defenses, the way other dynamic offensive players do. Benjamin and Olsen, however, will need to step up their games, if the Panthers want a chance of repeating as division champions.
The Prediction: Carolina is on a four-game losing streak, but with this game being played in their home stadium, I like their chances. Panthers win ugly, 23-17.
Max Zelenko is a Philadelphia Eagles/NFL writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on twitter @maxzelenko, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
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