Sixteen Players to Watch: Falcons at Panthers
The 2-5 Falcons are traveling to Carolina to face the NFC South division rival Panthers in Week 9. Here is a look at players to watch for from both teams.
WR Brandon LaFell is a strong receiver opposite Steve Smith. Can the Falcons defense prevent LaFell from having explosive plays?
CB Robert McClain began returning kickoffs last week and was very impressive. Will McClain continue to improve at this new position against Carolina?
In the game against the Bucs, QB Cam Newton completed 72-percent of his passes, threw two touchdowns and ran in another without any interceptions. Will the Falcons defense pressure Cam Newton enough so that he makes mistakes?
Antone Smith has been an unsung hero on the Falcons special teams. Will the magic continue this week? Can he prevent Ted Ginn from making huge returns?
CB Captain Munnerlyn has yet to surrender a touchdown this season. Will a Falcons receiver be the first to score on Munnerlyn?
DT Corey Peters got his third sack of the season on Carson Palmer in week 8. Will he get to QB Cam Newton this week?
DE Charles Johnson best individual game came agains tthe Falcons in 2012. He sacked QB Matt Ryan a team-record 3.5 times. Johnson also leads the Panthers with six sacks this season.
Despite the Falcons losing to the Cardinals, WR Harry Douglas caught 12 passes for 121 yards. With a strong Panthers secondary, will Douglas find the room he needs to continue to get yards after the catch?
The Falcons offensive line will have to account for LB Luke Kuechly on the field. He's been great at pressuring right up the middle thus far this season.
LB Joplo Bartu enters this game against the Panthers with 34 tackles and 2.5 sacks. What can Bartu do to disrupt a strong Panthers offense?
S Mike Mitchell is a player that is always lurking in the back field. He's already been fined 5 times for his actions on the field. He's a presence in the secondary that the Falcons have to account for.
In the Falcons loss against the Cardinals, QB Matt Ryan still had 301 yards. Ryan is a really good rebound quarterback. What kind of statement will he make this week against a division rival?
Star Lotulelei has been a true force on the line. While his stat line isn't glamorous, he's been phenomenal at pressuring the QB and stuffing the run game at the line. Will the Falcons run game be effective against Lotulelei?
DE Osi Umenyiora has been one of the most disruptive players on defense this season. Creating a lot of pressure and forcing QBs to make mistakes.
WR Steve Smith is an explosive receiver that you must account for on the field. Can the Falcons defense keep him out of the end zone?
RB Steven Jackson returned last week from injury and had a very long day. Will he be able to find any holes to have those strong, impactful runs that this Falcons offense needs?
