The Atlanta Falcons’ loss to the Carolina Panthers was an interesting one, to say the least.
It really felt like the Falcons’ offense was going nowhere fast. The Panthers' defense seemed like they were one step ahead of Arthur Smith, and got a nice pick-me-up from the return of Shaq Thompson, and the debut of cornerback, Stephen Gilmore.
Atlanta's defense, once again, could not find a way to get off of the field.
Here are three observations from the 19-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers:
1. Get Off The Field
Matt Ryan famously told the Panthers to do just that, in October, nine years ago. Ryan’s teammates on defense should have taken his advice on Sunday. The defense allowed Carolina to go 10-for-17 on third down. There were two drives in the fourth quarter that combined for over 15 minutes in length. The Panthers didn’t do anything fancy on offense, they did just enough to get a win.
2. The Panthers took away the unicorn
Kyle Pitts was targeted six times, and only had two receptions. He drew the coverage of a very familiar name. Former Defensive Player of the Year, Stephen Gilmore got his tenure with the Panthers off to a good start. The young tight end is still learning how to be a well-rounded player in the NFL.
3. There is no place like home
The Falcons are 0-3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They just haven’t shown well when they don’t have to get on a plane to go play someone. Head coach Arthur Smith notices it as well. The Falcons are only averaging 16 points per game at home. Smith is going to have to figure out a formula to score points at the Benz.
