4 reasons the Carolina Panthers will beat the Falcons in Week 10
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers can take advantage of a suspect secondary
The Atlanta Falcons are punching well above their weight this season. Not many expected them to be anything more than bottom-feeders let alone contend for the division, which is one of the worst in football despite the presence of legendary quarterback Tom Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Atlanta pulled victory from the jaws of defeat in Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers, who threw their chances of assuming command within the NFC South away thanks to costly errors late. Having running back Cordarrelle Patterson in the lineup helps, but this is still a suspect secondary that offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo can take advantage of in pursuit of improved fortunes.
With stud cornerback A.J. Terrell missing the game once again with a hamstring issue, it represents another opportunity for D.J. Moore and Terrace Marshall Jr. Both players represent matchup mismatches without the former Clemson star shutting down one side of the field, but much will also depend on whether P.J. Walker can bounce back after a disastrous outing at the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Falcons are giving up 300 yards per game through the air, ranked last across the league. If the offensive line provides enough stability and Carolina establishes the run with D’Onta Foreman, then Moore and Marshall should have a field day in the national spotlight.
Cutting out mistakes will be crucial – especially from Walker’s point of view. But the signal-caller showed over the second half in Week 8 that he can torch Atlanta when in the mood.