The Carolina Panthers traveled to Atlanta, GA on Sunday afternoon in hopes of extending their winning streak. The Atlanta Falcons came into Week 5 with a winless record after four games for the first time since 1999, and this was a must-win game for the Falcons. Atlanta led the all-time series between the two teams and have won eight of the last nine games, which includes the last five games at home.
The First Half
Carolina started the game with the ball but failed to convert their opening drive. The Falcons, however, put the first points up in their opening drive when Todd Gurley rushed the ball into the endzone for a 35-yard touchdown and led 7-0.
On the next drive, the Panthers finished a 14-play drive with a 38-yard field goal by Joey Slye, putting three on the board with less than a minute to play in the quarter. The Falcons finished the first quarter and started the second with possession of the ball, but didn’t produce any points.
Atlanta’s defense forced the Panthers to go for another field goal in their opening drive and Slye put the ball through the posts from 39 yards out, closing the lead to one point, 7-6. Carolina’s defense held the Falcons’ offense in their next drive and forced the punt.
The Panthers then put their first touchdown of the game on the board when Teddy Bridgewater connected with D.J. Moore for the 57-yard score and took the lead, 13-6 with two and a half minutes left in the half.
Each team would have one more opportunity to put points on the board before the end of the half, and which the Panthers did. Bridgewater connected with Mike Davis for the touchdown and had the 20-7 lead at halftime.
The Panthers put 312 total yards on the books compared to the Falcons’ 131 total yards in the first half and kept possession of the ball for almost six minutes longer than the Falcons. Bridgewater had an excellent first half, posting 261 of the passing yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions or sacks.
The Second Half
Atlanta started the second half with possession of the ball and Carolina held them to a field goal. Younghoe Koo put the ball through the posts from 46 yards out and closed the gap in the score, 20-10.
The Panthers ran seven minutes off of the clock in their opening drive but were unable to convert it into any points. The Falcons kept possession of the ball for the rest of the third quarter and the Panthers kept the ten-point lead.
The Falcons started the fourth quarter with the ball and Hoo put another field goal up to finish out the opening drive. This time from 31 yards out and brought the Falcons within one score of tying the game, 20-13.
The Panthers went three and out in their opening drive, and in the next drive, Juston Burris stopped an Atlanta touchdown when he intercepted a pass intended for Russell Gage in the endzone.
During Carolina’s final possession Davis took control of the football and either caught or rushed the ball nearly every play before the two-minute mark, and the Falcons were forced to use all three of their timeouts before the two-minute warning in order to slow down the game.
Carolina decided to run more time off of the clock instead of going for the first down at fourth-and-goal and brought out the field goal team instead. Joey Slye kicked the ball from 22 yards out and the Panthers extended the lead to ten points again, 23-13.
The Falcons were able to put a field goal up in the final drive when Koo put the ball through the posts from 54 yards out, but they still lost their fifth game in a row.
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The Panthers will face the Chicago Bears back at home in Charlotte next week while Atlanta will try to get their first win of the season against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis.
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Main Credit Image: Embed from Getty Images
