Atlanta Falcons: Ten keys for victory vs. Panthers

Dec 28, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons safety Sean Baker (29) breaks up a pass intended for Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen (88) in the third quarter at the Georgia Dome. The Panthers defeated the Falcons 34-3. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

8. Cover Greg Olsen

Greg Olsen leads the Panthers in receptions (62), receiving yards (917) and is tied for most receiving touchdowns (6). He is the go-to man for Cam Newton in the passing game, and he can burn the Falcons defense if he is able to get open.

The loss of Kelvin Benjamin hasn’t hurt the Panthers offense like many thought it would, and a lot of that is down to the play of Olsen. Get him covered and force Newton to look to his less consistent and experienced receivers.

Olsen is a real danger in the Panthers’ aerial attack.

7. Run the football

The Falcons turned away from the run game last week which was a surprise. The Bucs defended it fairly well, but the ball was put in the hands of Matt Ryan too often. Now, the Panthers are one of the best at run defense, but committing to the ground game is important.

The key is to get Devonta Freeman involved, even if that means using him on some small dump off and screen passes to give him a shot of getting into the open field. What the Falcons don’t want to do is become unbalanced and one-dimensional, because that will play right into the Panthers’ hands.

Next: The danger of Cam