The Carolina Panthers turned on the style to secure a comfortable victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. It was arguably the most complete performance during head coach Dave Canales' tenure so far. Every phase was on point, and their bitter division rivals had no answer.
And it didn't take long for one outspoken rookie to take a savage swipe at the Falcons for a personnel move that badly backfired on them at Bank of America Stadium.
The Falcons released experienced kicker Younghoe Koo before their game against Carolina. He's been a consistent performer for most of his career, but his recent miscues weren't well-received by those in power.
Everyone knows the life of an NFL kicker is precarious at best. Parker Romo got the chance to firmly establish himself as the starter after Koo's hasty exit. To say it didn't go well would be a massive understatement.
Atlanta struggled to get anything going offensively. They were not helped by Romo, who missed two field goals early in the contest and didn't get the chance to redeem himself after. The Panthers shut out the Falcons, which was nothing short of extraordinary given how poorly they performed during the previous campaign.
The failure of this gamble to pay off did not go unnoticed by Princely Umanmielen on social media after the game. Carolina's explosive rookie edge rusher took this opportunity to mock the Falcons for a personnel move gone wrong. And unsurprisingly, the post went viral immediately.
— Princely Umanmielen (@d1princely) September 21, 2025
Carolina has been a laughingstock for years. There's been very little to cheer, but this proved that the tide is turning. And if this means the players get to talk a little trash to their NFC South adversaries, they are well within their rights to do so.
The Panthers finally showed that they aren't going to be a pushover anymore. Umanmielen was having some fun at the Falcons' expense, and fans gladly came along for the ride. Reveling in victory has been a foreign concept to Carolina in recent years. When these moments arrive, take advantage of them.
Hopefully, this can provide the springboard to brighter fortunes ahead. And it'll almost definitely result in more kicking alterations from the Falcons.