3 X-Factors for the Atlanta Falcons to beat the Panthers in week 8

Kaleb McGary – RT

Kaleb McGary is coming off a rough game where he struggled to keep Marcus Mariota upright on his limited number of dropbacks, but that needs to change for the Atlanta Falcons this week.

Much like how Trey Hendrickson was a player the offense needed to key on last week, Brian Burns is along that same line this week. Brian Burns, while he has played mostly on the right side, he has played significant snaps on the left side, if the Panthers are smart they will see a mismatch on the left side.

Kaleb has struggled to block speed rushers during his NFL career, which is Burns’ best ability, so things do not look good. McGary needs to be able to anticipate the speed rush while also preparing for the inside counter moves that his opponent could use.

Thankfully, we are not a pass-heavy offense, so hopefully, pass protection will be the least of our worries, although I have a feeling that won’t be the case (will explain later).

In addition to that, he also needs to show up as a run blocker as the right side of the line is where they should have the most success running the ball considering that is what both Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary usually excel at.