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

Falcons offense vs. Carolina Panthers secondary

I already touched on this briefly when speaking on A.J. Bouye. But the importance of this matchup won’t fit on one slide alone.

The Atlanta Falcons have always been a pass-happy offense. One can remember some shootouts for the ages during Cam Newton and Matt Ryan’s primes.

Some of that explosiveness has faded but this offense is still a dangerous beast.

Even after the departure of Julio Jones, this team is loaded with offensive talent. Something that the Carolina Panthers secondary will have to contain on plenty of vertical routes come Sunday.

There will possibly be some reinforcements in that area with Stephon Gilmore coming into the fold if the former All-Pro is ready to make a go of it by game time following his trade from the New England Patriots.

Gilmore’s presence will solidify a secondary that has been devoid of any sort of consistency since the injury to Jaycee Horn forced the team to scramble for a replacement.

The Falcons love to run by you, get vertical, and trust that Ryan’s arm can get the ball there when the receiver gets separation. Being susceptible to double moves like the platoon that has played opposite Donte Jackson has would be a disaster against this type of scheme.

This is not the team you blow coverages against because they will make you pay every time. There is no room for a bad press move or missed tackle. If the Panthers want to beat this team they have to have solid press coverage that never wavers.

The type of thing that Jackson has become known for this season.

The duo of Jackson and Gilmore will be baptized in fire come Sunday. We will get a look at just how well this new look secondary can perform against some of the most dangerous weapons in the league.