Following an impressive defensive performance in its 22-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday night, the Atlanta Falcons will look to improve to 2-1 on the season as they travel to Charlotte to face off against their NFC South rival Carolina Panthers.
There are many exciting matchups to watch in Sunday's game, including a battle of two young quarterbacks as Michael Penix Jr will go up against Bryce Young of the Panthers. Penix is looking to get the best of Young this time around, as the last time the two quarterbacks met, the Panthers outlasted the Falcons 44-38 in overtime to close out the 2024 regular season.
The Falcons are favored to beat the Panthers on Sunday, so here are the three biggest keys to victory for the Dirty Birds in Sunday's matchup.
1. Create pressure against Bryce Young
In the 2024 season finale, the Falcons' defense struggled to create pressure on the Panthers quarterback, which saw them lose to Carolina and miss the playoffs as a result. Young torched the Falcons' defense both through the air and on the ground in Week 18, throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns and running for 24 yards and two more scores.
Heading into the week 3 matchup, there is more on the line for the Panthers than the Falcons, as Carolina is looking to avoid a 0-3 start for the second time in Young's NFL career.
It is key that the Falcons' defense defends and creates pressure on the former No. 1 pick, especially on third downs. Last week against the Vikings, Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich compiled an efficient game plan to attack quarterback JJ McCarthy, holding Minnesota just six points and forcing three McCarthy turnovers.
Atlanta hopes to achieve the same this Sunday against Young and the Panthers. And with Robert Hunt and Austin Corbett both out, the young defensive line should have a field day.
2. Red Zone Efficiency
One of the only negatives that came out of the Falcons' 22-6 win over the Vikings last Sunday was their proudctivity in the red zone. The Falcons had several trips in the red zone against the Vikings and were forced to kick five field goals.
The efficiency in the red zone must be better moving forward for the Falcons, especially if the game is tight in the fourth quarter. The Falcons have several options on offense that they can utilize to come away with touchdowns, including Darnell Mooney, Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, and Drake London.
Consistency in the red zone will ultimately come down to how Penix performs on third-down.
3. Michael Penix Jr
Similar to the first two games of the season for the Falcons, the play of quarterback Michael Penix Jr will play a crucial factor in how Atlanta performs in Sunday's matchup against the Panthers. Penix has shown great progress in his first two starts of 2025, throwing for 433 yards and one touchdown.
His consistency on offense will dictate how far this Falcons team can go this season as they try to reclaim the NFC South division crown. We'll see if Penix can continue to show improvement on Sunday against the Panthers.
Prediction:
Given that the Panthers are hoping to avoid an 0-3 start to the season, there is extreme pressure on Carolina in this matchup, more so than Atlanta. Look for this matchup between the Falcons and the Panthers to be tight up until the fourth quarter, when Atlanta pulls away courtesy of their defense stalling Carolina's on crucial second-half drives.