5 pivotal games that could define the Carolina Panthers 2023 season
By Ricky Raines
Carolina Panthers vs. Falcons
- Week 15 – TBD date and time
This is where I choose to exercise my divisional game option. It was tough not to highlight the Week 2 Monday Night Football home opener against the New Orleans Saints, as that one clearly has more glitz and glamor hitched to it.
But this late season divisional matchup could carry such heavy postseason implications.
The Carolina Panthers visit the Atlanta Falcons at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the very first week of the regular season for the first of the two contests, leaving the bulk of the campaign to transpire in between. You get the feeling there could be a whole lot of eggs in this basket.
At a quick glance, the Falcons, Saints, and Panthers appear to be the most projectable to contend for the NFC South title. Not to totally disregard the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and that Week 18 meeting, but… you know.
The Falcons will be trotting out second-year quarterback, Desmond Ridder, to lead the offense. Though the success of that team is firmly tethered to the run game, led by first-round pick Bijan Robinson, that head coach Arthur Smith is emphatically committed to.
The Bank should be a rowdy, hostile environment for the rival Dirty Birds in the homestretch of the regular season. This could be a “we’re already here” moment for the Panthers.