Carolina Panthers key matchups against Atlanta Falcons

The tight ends vs. the Atlanta defense

No Greg Olsen may be a problem for the Carolina Panthers. In any event, it is next man up at the tight end position. Chris Manhertz and rookie Ian Thomas are going to be thrown into the fire on Sunday in what should be the two’s first extended action of the season.

Manhertz did not see any balls thrown his way while Thomas caught two passes for four yards. I expect those numbers to increase on Sunday. To their credit, the Falcons defense held Eagles quarterback Nick Foles to 117 yards and an interception, while sacking him twice in the process. However, they will face a greater change in Newton who is probably looking to play a bit better after a mixed bag of results against the Cowboys.

Thomas probably has the greater upside here. He has shown flashes of explosiveness and is not afraid to contribute to the offense. Even still, Manhertz should be a name to watch as well. He looks to build off of a productive 2017.  Both tight ends will be put in the spotlight to see what they can do, and this may be a preview of what life after Olsen looks like.