FALCONS (9-5) VS. PANTHERS (6-8)
SATURDAY, 1 P.M. ET, BANK OF AMERICA STADIUM, CHARLOTTE uTV: FOX, DIRECTV 709
Announcers: Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Chris Spielman, Peter Schrager
About the Falcons: Now that they have disposed of two inferior opponents, the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, by an aggregate 83-27 score, the Falcons can get down to serious business and try to win the NFC South. It might take their best football of the season, particularly for the defense, which will have to step up its game against two marquee quarterbacks in consecutive weeks — the Panthers’ and the New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees. The Falcons have shown they can score, averaging an NFL-high 33.5 points per game. But they’ve been susceptible against the pass (267.4 yards per game) and yield 25.6 points per game. That bottom-tier defense puts a premium on every possession for offensive coordinator and the Falcons’ MVP candidate, QB
About the Panthers: Though officially dethroned as three-time defending division champions and reigning conference champions, the Panthers will have a say in how the NFC South plays out with season-ending games against front-runners Atlanta and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Back-to-back losses to those teams in Weeks 4 and 5 turned a 1-2 start into a downward spiral from which Carolina has never fully recovered. Carolina’s Week 15 win vs. the Washington Redskins could set a positive tone for coach
team heading into the offseason. Though Carolina is coming off a short week made even shorter by a Christmas Eve kickoff, the Panthers will be focused on revenge.
Despite the team’s offensive inconsistencies, Olsen continues to put up Pro Bowl-caliber numbers with a team high in receptions and receiving yards. Neal has played well in his rookie season, bringing big-play ability and stability to the back end of the Falcons defense.
Despite missing the last two games because of a sprained toe, Jones continues to lead the league in receiving yards with 1,253
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
on a team-high 72 catches.
Touchdown passes thrown by Ryan, tying his career high set in 2012, when the Falcons won the NFC South with a 13-3 regular-season record and advanced to the conference championship game. He has distributed those TD passes to 11 different receivers, including a team-high six to unsung hero WR who left Sunday’s 41-13 win against San Francisco because of a shoulder injury.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Show up: That might be the message Rivera gives his enigmatic defense this week, considering the Panthers yielded 48 points and 571 yards in the first game between the teams, including Atlanta franchise-record performances by Ryan (503 yards, four TD passes, 142.0 passer rating) and Jones (12 catches, 300 yards, one TD).
In a season of forgettable moments, No. 1 for Newton might be the game at Atlanta in October, when a big hit from Falcons LB gave Newton a concussion. The Panthers need to keep him clean against an improved Falcons pass rush led by OLB (141⁄ sacks), and Newton must play smart, protect himself and stay on the field, all of which he did against Washington. The key for the Atlanta offense is to use its stellar 1-2 punch — running backs and who have combined for 2,023 yards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns.
Brian Allee-Walsh