Could the Carolina Panthers put the final nail in Dan Quinn’s coffin?

Could the Carolina Panthers put the final nail in head coach Dan Quinn’s coffin with victory at the Atlanta Falcons in Week 5?

The Carolina Panthers might not have the best of records against the Atlanta Falcons in recent years, but that could be set to change on Sunday.

These are two teams who appear to be heading in completely different directions. The Carolina Panthers are riding on the crest of a wave after winning their last two games, whereas the Falcons are still looking for their first success of the campaign following a disastrous start.

There is a tremendous amount of pressure on Atlanta’s head coach Dan Quinn after an 0-4 start that has come with two cataclysmic collapses that have been the trademark of his tenure.

One only has to look at their Super Bowl choke against the New England Patriots to see where things began to unravel. This is a team that is completely devoid of confidence and Carolina will be looking to take full advantage in Week 5.

Can the Carolina Panthers break their winless run in Atlanta?

The Panthers haven’t won in Atlanta for nearly six years, but this group looks to be making some serious strides over the last fortnight. Their offense continues to move the chains efficiently and Carolina’s young and athletic defense have stepped up to the plate in no uncertain terms after going through some struggles early on.

Another win on the road would get them to a 3-2 record, which would be nothing short of sensational at this stage of their development. It would also almost certainly spell the end for Quinn, whose job is hanging by a thread.

Atlanta’s trip to the Super Bowl seems like a distant memory at this point. They look completely devoid of any sort of confidence that has only been exasperated further by their incredible lack of judgment during the onside kick fiasco that cost them victory at the Dallas Cowboys.

The Falcons might be without the services of stud wide receiver Julio Jones, who reaggravated a hamstring injury that has left him doubtful for Sunday’s game. Losing someone of the former Alabama standout’s quality is demoralizing, to say the least. And it might give the Panthers yet more hope as they aim to break their recent winless streak at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

It’s hard to envisage a situation where Quinn keeps his job with defeat at home to Carolina. There are already plenty of people clamoring for team owner Arthur Blank to pull the trigger and remove the coach after their embarrassing loss to the undefeated Green Bay Packers. But it seems he is going to get one more chance to turn things around.

Carolina has the chance to stick one final nail into the coffin of Quinn with a victory. This will probably be at the back of their minds and Falcons’ fans would see another loss as a blessing in disguise with all hope regarding a postseason berth already gone.

That won’t matter to the Panthers, who have bigger ambitions on their mind after coming together exceptionally well over the last two weeks. This represents a good chance to secure a winning record for the first time this season and they should be going into the clash against their NFC South rival with a supreme amount of belief.