We came into this game knowing it had the potential to be ugly. Bryce Young usually kills the Falcons, Cooper Rush was starting at quarterback, and that alone seemed like it could go awry. It did go awry, and it did get ugly.
Rush fumbled on the first play of the game. Rush threw an interception. He threw another interception. Jack Strand got in the game and saw his first NFL pass tipped into the air, intercepted, and returned for a touchdown. Strand later fumbled it to end the game by having the ball
slip out of his hand for a Carolina recovery. The Falcons allowed Xavier Legette to get wide open on a 55 yard strike downfield and let Darren Waller casually make a couple of nice touchdown grabs. Bryce Young made very few mistakes and killed Atlanta through the air, as he does. And special teams miscues, penalties, and a lack of high-end blocking for Bijan Robinson essentially sealed this one. Early in the third quarter, Atlanta was down 27-3, and even if the Falcons get their starting quarterback(s) back, it’s difficult to imagine them climbing out of an 0-2 hole and finding something that works well enough to keep this from being yet another lost season. It’s way too early to say that, but even the dejected faces of the Falcons on the sideline told you it’s going to take time to repair the damage done by this caliber of miserable effort.
Here’s a drive-by-drive recap of the game you just watched. I’m sorry you had to.
1st Quarter
The opening kickoff went into the end zone, bringing Cooper Rush and company on the field. Rush rolled out on play action and ran the football, nearly picking up a first down, but the ball came out at the end of the play and it was ruled a fumble after review. Carolina ball.
Bryce Young hit the running back with a quick swing pass under pressure for eight yards. Carolina then got a first down before a false start backed them up a bit. A checkdown to Jalen Coker went for a couple of yards. The second down pass was tipped by Kendal Daniels, but the pass was slapped down by Carolina. A roughing the passer call on Gervon Dexter Sr. at the same time as Tet McMillan got wide open downfield put Carolina around the two yard line. The first down slant to McMillan was slapped away, but A.J. Terrell was down on the play. The Panthers were then called for another false start. Chuba Hubbard then took the toss up the middle for about four yards. Young tried to run away from pressure and threw it incomplete with pressure coming and good coverage by C.J. Henderson. On fourth down, though, Hubbard got free and scored a touchdown on a quick pass from Young. 7-0 Panthers.
Olamide Zaccheaus took it back to about the 30. In play action, Rush was able to get the ball off with a man rushing free in his face and found Drake London, who got a first down with a nice move near the marker. Bijan Robinson then took it for three yards. Bijan on the right side stretch run got nowhere as any breathing room collapsed. Rush then hesitated in the pocket and threw an interception on third down on a tipped ball.
Carolina had another false start. Young then threw it too high for McMillan. Young then missed a tightly covered McMillan again. On third down, pressure got to Young and had his arm hit and the ball fell to the turf. Fair catch on the punt.
A yard or two on first down for Bijan. Robinson tried to make a cut and got three yards. On third down, Rush tried Kyle Pitts, but he couldn’t reel it in with a defender’s hand in there. The return from Jalen Coker got almost to the Atlanta 30, and a five yard penalty was added on for Atlanta.
A quick hitter to Xavier Legette got nine yards. Young had to dirt the second down pass with Cameron Thomas nearly getting to him. A quick handoff to Hubbard went for a first down. On first down, Jonathon Brooks got two yards before the Falcons made the stop. CJ Henderson got to Coker immediately on a swing pass for a minimal gain. Young with pressure closing in launched it to the end zone but didn’t get it, with Henderson once again close by. They hit the field goal try to make it 10-0 Carolina.
Zachariah Branch took it a short distance. A quick slant to London went for 13 yards and a first down. Brian Robinson Jr. then took it nine yards. Robinson followed that up with about seven yards and a first down. A quick screen to Zachariah Branch didn’t get great blocking and he got about three yards. Bijan then fought through contact and burst through the pile for four yards, but was stymied on the next carry for a one yard gain. They tried a reverse on fourth down to London and he was tackled well short of the marker. Carolina ball.
Young hit McMillan for eight yards over the middle on first down.
2nd Quarter
A penalty brought back the first down run, and then Bryce Young was brought down by Samson Ebukam and Gervon Dexter. They handed it off to Hubbard to set up a more manageable punt. Bijan took it a couple of yards, and then Rush hit Jahan Dotson for a slant and first down. Bijan then plunged ahead for three yards. A swing pass to Robinson went for another few yards. Rush then tried to scramble away from pressure and was taken down. Punt, and Coker took it back for a short return.
A five yard plunge up the middle for Carolina to kick things off, and then Young missed his target downfield. On third down, Young had time and hit McMillan, with Mike Hughes tackling him after the first down grab. Then Young got McMillan again for about 20 yards. Then he aired it out to Coker for another 20 plus yards to put Carolina inside the 10. A quick pass went for a couple of yards before Xavier Watts got the stop. Hubbard then got a yard or so before Hughes got to him. Young then rolled way out and looked for McMillan, but couldn’t get him with Avieon Terrell in coverage. The field goal try made it 13-0 Carolina.
Zaccheaus nearly had a very nice return but got tripped up by the last man who had a chance of getting him, and a holding call would’ve brought it back regardless (and backed them up anyways). Rush finally took a shot over the middle and got Drake London for a big gain, but a facemask on the offense brought it back. Bijan then took it about eight yards. On second down, Rush tried for Zaccheaus, but it was a little high and he couldn’t get it. Rush then rushed for 10 yards on a diving effort, getting Atlanta the first down, but then Kyle Pitts was hit with a false start. Rush then hit Pitts on the sideline for a first down. Bijan then got a seam and made it nearly nine yards. Rush then tried London but threw it too far inside. Rush found London on the next play, though, with a short slant turning into a major gain over the middle as London outran multiple defenders. Bijan then gained two yards on the ground, but followed that up with ten yards as he got quality blocking. Rush under pressure was able to hit Bijan but it wasn’t close, so Robinson was lucky to pick up two yards on the play. He went right back to Bijan for five yards. On third down, Rush missed badly over the middle and nearly had it picked off. Nick Folk hit the 41 yard attempt, though, to make it 13-3 Carolina.
John Metchie made it to the 28 yard line with 1:02 on the clock. A quick pass over the middle to Darren Waller got a first down, and an illegal use of hands call on the Falcons was declined. On the next play, several Falcons converged on Young for a sack, but Xavier Legette got wide ass open downfield and Young aired it out for a huge gain. Young threw it away with pressure on the way on first down. A crosser to Coker went for five yards before he was tackled. Young then hit Waller for a touchdown to make it 20-3 Panthers.
Zachariah Branch had a solid return, but the Falcons had no time on the clock to do anything interesting. Rush tried to make it interesting anyways with a deep shot to Jahan Dotson, but the ball died well short of Dotson and fell to the turf. Brian Robinson Jr. took it for a couple of yards and we hit halftime.
3rd Quarter
The return went a bit shy of the 30. Hubbard went nowhere on first down. A very nice run from Hubbard came back after a holding call on Carolina. A screen to Coker picked up about eight yards. Young got Coker again for 11, falling just a yard short of the first down, but on review it was ruled a first down. Hubbard then ran for a first down, but lost a yard on second down. Young under pressure found McMillan on the sideline, who went up and reeled it in despite tight coverage by Henderson. A quick swing to Coker went for five yards. Hubbard then got a couple of yards. Young then scrambled for a first down, and then hit an open Darren Waller again for another touchdown to make it 27-3 Carolina.
Bijan got five yards on first down, and then London reeled in the Rush pass over the middle for a first down. Bijan then ran for 11 yards and a first after slipping an early tackle attempt. Bijan got another four yards. Rush then threw another interception, with London finally getting Devin Lloyd down around the Atlanta 20.
Brooks picked up seven yards on first down. Young threw it away under pressure from Cameron Thomas, but then connected for a first down. Young and company then narrowly avoided a sack and were able to get close to the end zone on fourth down, where they went for it and did not get it after Divine Deablo got a hand on Young and he threw it into Dexter’s face.
Jack Strand entered the game. Bijan took it for four yards on first down from Atlanta’s two, and then Brian Robinson Jr. got four more yards. On third down, Strand threw a crosser to Dotson that bounced off his hands and into the air, and Lloyd grabbed it out of the air and returned it for a touchdown. 34-3 Carolina lead.
Strand then threw it a bit hot and behind Charlie Woerner, and then Brian Robinson picked up three yards. A quick dumpoff pass to Brian Robinson went for a first down and then some after Robinson bulldozed his way for 15 yards. Bijan went for about three yards. Then Jaelen Phillips got Strand, who didn’t seem to have an open man, for a sack. A quick pass to Chris Blair over the middle picked up about six yards.
4th Quarter
Punt.
Hubbard got back-to-back carries to pick up a first down. I started to tune out here, but perked up when a big Hubbard call was called back because of holding. Another big Hubbard run was called back on the next play, with holding again. Brooks took it for about a yard on 2nd and 23 before Xavier Watts got him. The Panthers then tried the screen and got about 15 yards, but the Panthers punted on 4th and 6.
Zachariah Branch had a solid return, and Strand was back out there. Strand didn’t find something he liked downfield and hit Austin Hooper on a quick pass, and Hooper did the rest for a first down. Brian Robinson then took the handoff up the middle for three yards. Strand then rolled out to the right and picked up a first down. Strand then hit Zaccheaus, but the ball was a little behind him and the gain was maybe three yards. Brian Robinson then rolled forward for another three yards. Robinson took it again and fell forward for five yards and a first down. Strand then double clutched and fired the ball a little low, where Blair couldn’t come up with it. A quick screen to Dotson went for a couple of yards, as the blocking didn’t hold up. On third down, Strand rolled away from pressure and threw it to Hooper, but Will Lee got a hand on it to knock it away. Strand then got away from pressure and scrambled for a first down, but a holding call on Mike Jerrell backed it up. Nick Folk missed the field goal try.
Kenny Pickett came in for Carolina. A short run gave way to a four yard loss after Za’Darius Smith got the back. Another no gain followed, and the Panthers punted.
Brian Robinson took it about six yards. Then Strand rolled out and scrambled for a first down. Brian Robinson got two yards. A quick screen to Branch was well-blocked and Branch made a couple nice moves to pick up another first down. Strand then tried to hit Hooper on a short pass, but the tight end couldn’t come up with it. On second down, Strand’s pass just went in the dirt between Hooper and another option. Strand then hit Brian Robinson over the middle for a few yards, and on fourth down, rolled out and hit Hooper for a first down. On the next play, pressure got to him and he threw it away. On the next play, Strand tried to throw and it just slipped backwards out of his hand for a fumble, with Carolina recovering. They knelt it out.
