FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons are coming off back-to-back dramatic wins over NFC South foes and appear ripe for a letdown against the struggling Panthers.
The Falcons (3-2) can’t afford to take the Panthers (1-4) lightly when they meet at 4:25 p.m. Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The mentality of the team will be the X-factor in the game.
The home team has won the past four meetings in this series.
“This is part three of our running the (NFC) South, and Carolina is in the way,” Falcons safety Jessie Bates III said. “We have to (go) out there and play. Take control and try to dominate this division and set the tone for the rest of the year.”
The Panthers, under first-year coach Dave Canales, have benched quarterback Bryce Young in favor of veteran Andy Dalton, who is set to turn 37 on Oct. 29. They have lost three games by 23 points or more, and the defense has been decimated by injuries.
Defensive tackle Derrick Brown, who was an AJC Super 11 selection from Lanier High and played at Auburn, is out for the season with a knee injury. Linebacker Shaq Thompson (Achilles) was lost for the season, too.
The Falcons are guarding against complacency. “The living-in-the-past thing, that gets me, that gets my blood boiling,” Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins said. “So, I just want to make sure that we’re always looking forward, that we’re focused on the next challenge, and it’s a balance.”
Who could blame the Falcons for overlooking the Panthers after the Falcons stormed back to defeat the Bucs 36-30 in overtime, after having a 4.7% win-probability with less than two minutes to play in the team’s most recent game?
“When you have a positive outing, you need to enjoy it,” Cousins said. “Now, it’s time to look forward and focus on Carolina. As the great Bill Belichick would say, ‘We’re on to Cincinnati.’ I would say the same thing. We got to look forward.”
Bates played on some bad Cincinnati teams early in his career.
“We are going to get their best,” Bates said. “I’ve been a part of a 1-4 team. I’ve been that guy on that team. I know what mentality I had. There is no backing down.”
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