3 bold predictions for the Panthers in Week 8 vs. the Falcons

The Carolina Panthers won’t have to bring out their punter

It was really cool to watch the Carolina Panthers offense operate smoothly against the Saints. In a game full of offense, they only punted once, on their opening drive of the second half.

Matt Rhule is hoping he doesn’t have to call Joseph Charlton and the punt team out against the Falcons and here are a couple of things the offense can do to make sure that happens again.

First and foremost, let the offense flow through the running game.

In the last game against the Falcons, Mike Davis ran hard, bullying Falcons defenders on his way to an 89-yard day on the ground. The veteran has struggled to find running room since then and he has not been productive as a pass-catcher.

Whether Christian McCaffrey plays or not, this could be a good opportunity to right the ship and bring balance to the offense again.

The other strategy should be for the Panthers defense.

Getting off the field as quickly as possible and creating turnovers can go along way in getting a better field position for the offense. It will be interesting to see the effort this Falcons team plays with after another embarrassing loss in their abysmal season. But this is a spot where Carolina can’t afford to keep a bad team hanging around late in the game with a chance to win.

If both sides of the ball start fast and pitch a dominant effort, the Panthers will be back in the playoff hunt.