The Carolina Panthers head into Week 5 with a two-game winning streak for the first time in a year. They will also be playing a struggling Atlanta Falcons team that has yet to get into the win column this season. While it may be tempting to assume Carolina will come out on top in this matchup, it’s foolish to underestimate any opponent in the NFL.
Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater knows the score and is warning against taking this Falcons team too lightly. Yesterday, he told the media that his squad can’t just expect a win to be handed over to them.
QB Teddy Bridgewater says #Panthers have to know the kind of team they’re going to face in the Falcons because they were that team a couple of weeks ago — one without a win. “We can’t go out there and just think they’re going to hand it to us.”
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) October 8, 2020
Atlanta has won five games in a row and eight of nine against Carolina. However, they are shorthanded in all the wrong places. The Falcons’ wide receivers have dominated the Panthers’ cornerbacks in recent years, with both Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley putting up some absurd numbers. Both receivers are banged up coming into this week, though. Jones has yet to practice for Atlanta and Ridley was limited on Wednesday and Thursday.
They’re also hurting on the other side of that critical WR vs. DB element. The Falcons are down to their scrubs at the safety position, especially. Damontae Kazee suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on Monday night against the Packers and Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal have been limited at practice.
Bridgewater can help by being more aggressive than he usually is. His offensive line has done a mostly-excellent job of protecting him this season and the Falcons have a weak pass rush on top of everything else. Bridgewater should have ample time to let some deeper routes develop and has to take advantage.
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