It’s hard to call this week a ‘must-win’ for a pair of NFC South foes, but the clock is ticking for the reeling Atlanta Falcons and visiting Carolina Panthers, who meet Sunday afternoon.
Atlanta (3-6) brings a four-game losing streak into Week 11, and will have to quickly turn things around if it’s going to snap a seven-year postseason drought. Since the Falcons earned one of their more impressive victories in recent history on October 13 — a 24-14 win over the Buffalo Bills — inconsistent offensive play and a struggling defense have sent the team into a spiral.
After a pair of double-digit losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins, Atlanta has lost heartbreakingly in each of the last two weeks. The Falcons fell 24-23 at the New England Patriots on a missed extra-point with 4:40 left, before allowing the Indianapolis Colts to rally for a 31-25 overtime win in Berlin last week.
The play of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been a source of frustration in Atlanta. The 25-year-old ranks 31st among qualified passers with a 58.8 percent completion percentage, while the offense has converted just 3 of 29 (10.3 percent) of its third-down attempts across the last three outings.
“He is extremely hard on himself,” Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris said of Penix Jr. “He has a very high character, very accountable, almost to a fault at times. There will be ups and downs obviously with a young quarterback, but I definitely had to talk to him about being so hard on himself. This league is full of adversity and you have to deal with those adverse moments.”
Atlanta ranks 29th in the NFL with a 33.6 percent third-down conversion rate. The Falcons went 0-for-8 against the Colts, a game that saw Penix complete just 12 of 28 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown. An improvement in that area is going to take better play from Penix, who will make just the 12th start of his career on Sunday.
“I don’t feel like they showed us anything new or anything unexpected this past week,” Penix said of facing third-down defenses. “For me, it’s about knowing the answer to those looks and putting us in a position to convert those third downs.”
Carolina (5-5) will be looking to sweep the season series with Atlanta for the first time since 2013. The Panthers dominated the visiting Falcons 30-0 on Sept. 21, despite being outgained 332-224. In Carolina’s best performance of the year, it forced three turnovers and three turnovers on downs in the win.
Last time out, the Panthers fell flat in a 17-7 setback at home against the lowly New Orleans Saints. Bryce Young ranks 30th in the NFL with 168.2 passing yards per game for a Carolina offense that’s 15th of 16 NFC teams in scoring (17.7 points per game).
“We’re just finding opportunities to try and refocus,” Young said. “That’s been a theme for us after good and bad weeks. We put an emphasis on getting lost in the work. We’re process oriented and that’s the battle right now.”
With four of their seven remaining games against division opponents, a postseason opportunity is still possible for the Panthers, but a victory in Atlanta is paramount in getting over the hump.
“This is a championship opportunity. It’s not a lie. It’s not selling something. It’s true,” Carolina head coach Dave Canales said. “Especially when you play against your division opponents, these are such important opportunities for us.”
The status of the Panthers’ leading rusher is up in the air, as Rico Dowdle was held out of practice on Wednesday with a quad injury. Linebacker Trevin Wallace (shoulder) and safety Lathan Ransom (hand) were also non-participants.
Atlanta linebacker DeAngelo Malone (ankle) was placed on injured reserve, while offensive lineman Storm Norton (ankle) was put on season-ending IR. Four players were limited on Wednesday, with 11 more sitting out.
