5 key matchups to watch during the Panthers at Falcons in Week 8

What are the top matchups to watch when the Carolina Panthers take on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8?

Well, here we are.

The Carolina Panthers are now on a four-game losing streak with each one looking worse than the before it. And I don’t think anyone wants to see what something worse than Week 7 would look like.

How a team that starts 3-0 can fall this far is beyond me.

Against a New York Giants team that was the equivalent of a practice squad, the Panthers managed to lose 25-3 and look even worse than that scoreline.

Sam Darnold got benched for the fouth quarter, the defense fell apart against a team they should have dominated,  and the amount of three-and-outs Carolina had was hard to believe at first glance.

Seats are on fire at every level except the team owner, obviously. It remains to be seen if a win is even enough to cool them at this point.

Trade rumors for embattled Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson have even begun to swirl once again. This all adds up to a perfect storm heading into a Week 8 matchup at the Atlanta Falcons.

The Falcons are most certainly not the team of old that went to the Super Bowl just a few short years ago. However, to take a team with Matt Ryan, Calvin Ridley, and Kyle Pitts for granted is a very dangerous proposition.

While the defense has lagged behind, the Falcons offense is still a force to be reckoned with and can easily blow out a team if given the chance. Especially one that repeatedly puts itself in bad positions.

The mix of an inept offense and a punter that could barely get the ball 30 yards downfield paired up for a horrendous combo on Sunday. This saw the Giants have great field position on nearly every drive.

Those are the kinds of things the Falcons are built to capitalize on. Something the Panthers have to clean up if they want to keep this game close.

But what other things do they need to keep an eye on? Let’s take a look at the five key matchups to watch in Week 8.