Atlanta @ Carolina preview
Bank of America Stadium
Last Meeting ( Dec 9, 2012 ) Atlanta 20, Carolina 30
The Carolina Panthers have surged above .500 for the first time since 2008 and aim for their fourth straight victory when they host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The Panthers have won three straight by an average of 19.3 points to pull within two games of NFC South leader New Orleans. The defending champion Falcons have struggled to their worst start since 2007.
Carolina's offense has sprung to life the past three weeks, topping 30 points in each game while Cam Newton has posted a league-best 130.3 passer rating over that span. "He is playing outstanding football, especially in these last three games," Falcons coach Mike Smith told reporters. "He is playing as good as any quarterback in the league right now." The Falcons have won five of the past six meetings, but Carolina won the most recent contest.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Carolina -7.5. O/U: 43.5.
ABOUT THE FALCONS (2-5): Atlanta has struggled to get anything going on the ground, ranking last in the league in rushing and forcing Matt Ryan into a league-high 43.6 passing attempts per game. The defense has been a bigger issue, though, as the Falcons haven't consistently stopped the run or the pass. They gave up a season-high 201 rushing yards in last week's 27-13 loss at Arizona and will have their hands full with Carolina's strong run game.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (4-3): As well as Newton has passed the ball recently, Carolina still leans on the run, and the league's No. 8 ground game has reinforcements on the way. It appears running back Jonathan Stewart will make his season debut - he practiced in full pads Wednesday for the first time in nearly a year and drew rave reviews from coaches and teammates. The defense has been dominant at times, holding five straight opponents under 320 total yards, but those results have come against some of the league's worst offenses.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Carolina has not allowed a first-half touchdown this season.
2. The Falcons are 34-2 when Ryan starts and has a rating of 100 or higher.
3. Atlanta TE Tony Gonzalez has caught a pass in 202 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in NFL history.
PREDICTION: Panthers 24, Falcons 20