The Atlanta Falcons (1-1) square off against the Carolina Panthers (0-2) on Sunday, following a Sunday Night Football road win against the Minnesota Vikings. That win seemed to move Vegas, as DraftKings Sportsbook has the Falcons favored by 5.5 points against the Panthers.
Defense, special teams, and the ground game told the tale for Atlanta against Minnesota, and on Sunday, the Falcons will have another opportunity to show that the defensive performance was no fluke. Atlanta only allowed 198 yards
of total offense to the Vikings, notched six sacks, and tallied four takeaways.
Atlanta rooks Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman were responsible for the picks.
New kicker Parker Romo had about the best first day at the office that a special teamer could envision, hitting all five field goal attempts, including a 54-yarder. His play made the Falcons comfortable enough to jettison long-time kicker Younghoe Kicker and roll with Romo moving forward.
For the Panthers, they’re still seeking their first win. The nearly stumbled into a victory on Sunday against the Cardinals, having recovered an onside kick late and consistently being gifted additional yardage and first downs due to boneheaded Cardinals penalties, but the Cards hung on in the 27-22 win.
The Falcons split the season series with the Panthers last year, the loss coming on the final game of the season that slammed the door shut on Atlanta’s dim playoff hopes.
