Falcons vs. Panthers: Can Atlanta end an undefeated run?

Falcons vs. Panthers: Will this week be the week the Carolina Panthers’ undefeated run stops? Can the Atlanta Falcons go on the road and gut out a win?

Winning in the NFL is never an exact science, especially in rivalry games. To this point, no one has been able to beat Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers and it’s because they can beat you in so many different ways. You take away the run? No problem, Newton has guys like Greg Olsen that can make big plays in the passing game, and a whole host of receivers that would be anyone else’s #4 that somehow find ways to get open and make clutch catches.

Find a way to stop the Carolina offense (easier said than done) and they can beat you with their defense and special teams. The Panthers have proven throughout this whole season that whether it’s a low-scoring brawl, a back and forth offensive shootout, or a game where the field goal unit is the difference between a win and a loss, they can make it happen.

So does something have to give, or are the Panthers going to have to beat themselves in order to lose a regular season game?

A home game against the Atlanta Falcons sure seems to be an easy way to get to 13-0 for them right now. They have lost six of their last seven games, and are one of the most anemic offenses in the league over the time frame. They are going on the road to face a team that hasn’t lost since Cam Newton was hit by a car last year, and they are doing it with a quarterback that is ‘Ice’ cold right now.

The last undefeated team standing has one big thing going for it right now — they are playing loose. There doesn’t appear to be a real pressure on them to finish the season undefeated. There’s very little at stake for them right now in the NFC South, which is all but locked up, and they even have a 1.5 game lead over the Arizona Cardinals for home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The smile on Cam Newton’s face typically says it all.

This is a team that has overcome fourth quarter deficits, and has faced significant adversity. They’ve won tough games on the road and like I said before, they’ve done it in a number of impressive ways but the fact that they are favored by nine points over the Falcons raises a red flag for me.

This is an Atlanta team that is certainly capable of moving the ball offensively, though they’ve been wildly inconsistent this season. They started off the year 6-1, and have lost five straight games but none has really been a blowout. They just can’t seem to push their way to the winner’s circle in the 4th quarter.

I don’t think the Panthers are going to be knocked off this week, but it wouldn’t shock me. The Falcons need a win in the worst way in order to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot in the NFC, as bleak as that outlook is right now. Atlanta is desperate, and the Panthers really have nothing to lose by losing, except a shot at an undefeated season.

On Sunday, we’ll see which one matters more.