While Julio Jones didn’t torch the Panthers secondary like he did in that legendary 300-yard game back in 2016, the Falcons found other ways to get it done. Tevin Coleman became the first 100-yard rusher against the Panthers in 21 games. Cam Newton’s 335 yard, 3 touchdown performance wasn’t enough to overcome the Falcons, who got 2 unexpected rushing touchdowns from quarterback Matt Ryan. A defensive effort that Head Coach Ron Rivera described as “disappointing” allowed the Falcons to escape Mercedes-Benz stadium with a 7-point division win.
Rivera said that most of the defensive mistakes against the Falcons are easily correctable. With Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals coming to town on Sunday, those corrections need to be made quickly. After a commendable job covering Julio Jones on Sunday, cornerback James Bradberry has another tough test in AJ Green. The Bengals receiver went off in last week’s Thursday Night Football contest against the Baltimore Ravens, scoring 3 touchdowns in just 17 minutes. To limit Bradberry’s vulnerability, the Panthers rush defense needs to show up early. The Bengals have another legitimate weapon in running back Gio Bernard, in for the injured Joe Mixon, and the Panthers cannot allow the run game to be established as they did with the Falcons. Ranked 4th in the league in scoring, the Bengals can put up the points.
On the bright side, the Panthers can, and should take advantage of the Bengals mediocre pass defense. They have allowed an average of 332 yards in the air through two games; ranking them 30th in the league. To maximize opportunity, the Panthers need to utilize first round draft pick DJ Moore in the offensive game plan and not just special teams as we’ve seen the fist two games. Moore was only targeted twice against the Falcons; one resulted in a 51-yard touchdown and the other came on a last ditch attempt as the game clock ran out. Sunday will also provide an opportunity for Devin Funchess to finally have that breakout game that everyone has expected since he became the #1 receiver last season with the trade of Kelvin Benjamin.
In Sunday’s loss to the Falcons, Funchess was the most targeted receiver with 9 targets; running back Christian McCaffrey was targeted 15 times and finished the game tied with Steve Smith’s franchise record of 14 receptions in a game. When asked if that was part of the game plan, Rivera said that McCaffrey’s targets were the result of checkdowns.
Sunday appears to be as good an opportunity as any for the Panthers to put together a complete game offensively. Newton is showing no signs of limitation after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit that resulted in Falcons defensive back Damontae Kazee’s ejection from the game. If the defensive unit can re-establish their swagger, the Bengals leave Charlotte with their first loss of the season.
Kickoff is set for 1:00pm EDT.