Cat Scratch Reader - Carolina Panthers vs Atlanta Falcons: Week 11 full coverageKeep Pounding!https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48401/catscratchreader_fave.png2019-11-19T08:00:00-05:00http://www.catscratchreader.com/rss/stream/207267612019-11-19T08:00:00-05:002019-11-19T08:00:00-05:003 plays to love, 3 plays to hate from the Panthers’ 29-3 loss to the Falcons
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<p><em>These key plays swung momentum and decided the Panthers 29-3 home loss against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11, putting Carolina’s record at 5-5. </em></p> <p id="KHzIHN">I normally spend a decent amount of time pulling this weekly article together by describing game scenarios and the nuance of individual plays. Doing this takes a certain degree of preparation, dedication, and work, three attributes the <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a> entire organization lacked to unacceptable degrees against the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a>. Maybe this is petty on my part, but this week’s Plays to Love, Plays to Hate is going to mirror Carolina’s effort against Atlanta, meaning it will be shoddy, apathetic, and a general embarrassment to my craft. </p>
<h3 id="WLyP5V">Plays to love</h3>
<p id="p9HNZY"><strong>1st quarter</strong> - The Falcons offense started in field goal range following a <span>Kyle Allen</span> interception. <span>Mario Addison</span> and <span>Bruce Irvin</span> teamed up for a sack which pushed the Falcons back just far enough to miss a field goal. </p>
<p id="ONI2I5"><strong>2nd quarter</strong> - On fourth-and-2 Norv Turner designed a great play by sending <span>Christian McCaffrey</span> in motion from left to right, snapping the ball with CMC still moving, then having Kyle Allen hit his running back in stride on a swing pass and an easy first down. </p>
<p id="vpg0IX"><strong>2nd quarter</strong> - On fourth-and-5 near midfield Kyle Allen escaped pressure by sprinting to his right toward the sideline. Before going out of bounds Allen screeched to a halt, quickly set his feet, then delivered a nice pass to <span>Jarius Wright</span> for a first down. </p>
<h3 id="hjYZoK">Plays to hate</h3>
<p id="Nk8Ryx"><strong>1st quarter</strong> - <span>Shaq Thompson</span> jumped a route in the flat, got both hands on the ball, and just couldn’t come up with the interception for what would’ve likely been a pick-six. Good coverage by Shaq, but an early defensive score could’ve potentially changed the complexion of this game. </p>
<p id="rGQdsE"><strong>1st quarter</strong> - The Panthers gave up a virtually uncontested punt return touchdown. </p>
<p id="mKYfID"><strong>2nd quarter </strong>- Kyle Allen threw two awful interceptions in the end zone, ending two promising drives with zero points. </p>
<h3 id="2MbpIj">Closing it out and summing it up</h3>
<p id="6K4o3o">Rather than putting forth the effort to produce an more substantive summary, I’ll just pull a Panthers this week and share the undeveloped bullet points from my game notebook:</p>
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<li id="KKTE6L">The offensive line is dog meat in pass protection. </li>
<li id="pOik8k">No sense of urgency. </li>
<li id="YrAzAP">Zone coverage is soft and weak. </li>
<li id="edQNzZ">Sloppy penalties on offense. </li>
<li id="5C5LNB">
<span>Greg Little</span> is having a terrible game. </li>
<li id="TfUkD9">I hate watching Falcons players gloating and celebrating. </li>
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<p id="VnEYl5">If the Panthers are just going to go through the motions, then so can I. At 5-5 and with a tough schedule to come, it feels like the season is now over. This team’s ceiling maxes out at beating average teams behind a stout defense and an adequate offense. At its worst (like this game and the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a> debacle) the 2019 Carolina Panthers play like one of the least competitive teams in the NFL. </p>
<p id="3Kihg4">Let’s hope things get better next week. It’s hard to imagine how they could get any worse. </p>
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https://www.catscratchreader.com/2019/11/19/20972052/nfl-panthers-3-falcons-29-three-plays-to-love-three-plays-to-hateD.A. Sweat2019-11-18T12:00:00-05:002019-11-18T12:00:00-05:00Christian McCaffrey sets records in ugly loss to Falcons
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<figcaption>Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The third year running back has been one of the few bright spots for the Panthers this season.</p> <p id="xU1j4l"><a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a> star running back <span>Christian McCaffrey</span> set a couple records in their 29-3 loss to the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a>. First up McCaffrey set a record for rushing and receiving yards through the first ten games of an NFL season. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">McCaffrey also now has 2,000 career receiving yards, joining Herschel Walker as the only two running backs to do it in first 42 games of a career.</p>— Will Bryan (@Pantherstatsguy) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pantherstatsguy/status/1196169510530756611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2019</a>
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<p id="Ej1MYZ">As you can see McCaffrey also joined Hershel Walker as the only players with over 2,000 receiving yards in their first 42 games. Both players also recorded over 2,500 yards rushing in their first three seasons as well. McCaffrey also broke LaDanain Tomlinson’s running back receptions record for the first three seasons of their career:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">By the way, Christian McCaffrey (241) catches) has passed LaDainian Tomlinson (238) for the most receptions by a running back in his first 3 NFL seasons.</p>— Bill Voth (@PanthersBill) <a href="https://twitter.com/PanthersBill/status/1196154012225212419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2019</a>
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<p id="G5jYuB">McCaffrey has been the one consistently effective factor in the Panthers offense in 2019 and is a legitimate MVP candidate. He probably won’t win though, because the Panthers do not appear to be a playoff caliber team. MVPs are typically chosen from winning teams. It’s not a rule, it’s just reality.</p>
<p id="2ShQgF">On a down note, the loss to the Falcons broke McCaffrey’s seven game touchdown streak. You can blame me for that. I have a bad habit of jinxing Panthers every time I brag about them. In my prediction post earlier in the week I said the Panthers would not only win, but McCaffrey would keep his streak going. I’m going to pick the Panthers to lose the rest of the season just to see if it will work. </p>
<p id="ffkYHS">Things don’t get any easier for the hapless Panthers (5-5) at this point. They need to win most of their remaining games to have a shot at the playoffs starting with a road game against the <a href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a>. Just two weeks ago the Panthers looked like a playoff team, but now after two hard losses they see their season slipping away. </p>
https://www.catscratchreader.com/2019/11/18/20969917/nfl-mccaffrey-sets-records-in-carolina-panthers-ugly-loss-to-atlanta-falconsJaxon2019-11-18T09:00:17-05:002019-11-18T09:00:17-05:00Panthers 3 Falcons 29: Stock up, stock down
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<p>Nothing went right for the Panthers as they fall to 5-5 on the season after a terrible home loss to the Falcons.</p> <p id="LjlTqC">The <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a> lost — at home — yesterday in embarrassing fashion to the previously 2-7 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a> in a truly hideous game that looked much worse than the 29-3 final score indicated.</p>
<p id="2jaAq8">I’ll just be up front with you — the ‘stock up’ part of this week’s column will be short. The ‘stock down’ part will be long. You’ve been warned.</p>
<h2 id="zNAPLU">Stock up</h2>
<p id="46KroK"><span><strong>Christian McCaffrey</strong></span><strong>: </strong>Yesterday’s game was a solid argument that McCaffrey should be a front-runner for the league MVP award. He’s not going to win because the Panthers are a middling 5-5 team unworthy of any praise or recognition, but McCaffrey is literally carrying the Panthers on his back right now. He produced 191 total yards on offense (70 rushing, 121 receiving) and was one of the few bright spots for the Panthers yesterday. It’s a shame that his amazing season is being ruined by the wet fart that is the rest of the team, but as an old friend of ours used to say — it is what it is.</p>
<p id="QcCVNO"><span><strong>DJ Moore</strong></span><strong>: </strong>Moore picked up 95 yards on 8 catches yesterday, including a nice 31-yard reception that made us believe the Panthers were actually going to threaten to score and make it a respectable game. (SPOILER: They didn’t because <span>Kyle Allen</span> threw an interception, but more on that later.)</p>
<p id="7N0Vac"><span><strong>Tre Boston</strong></span><strong>: </strong>We’ve given Boston a lot of flack for his poor tackling and misguided attempts to make the big highlight play instead of just wrapping up and making a textbook tackle, but he played quite well yesterday. He was tied for the team lead in tackles and had a tackle for loss and a pass defensed, which given how awful the game was yesterday is worth pointing out.</p>
<h2 id="y3NVHz">Stock down</h2>
<p id="NyuQlP"><strong>Kyle Allen</strong><strong>:</strong> Y’all wanted us to stop ‘coddling’ him, so here you go — he was dreadfully, awfully, terribly shitty yesterday. Sure, he completed 31 of 50 passes for 325 yards, but he was directly responsible for the Panthers failing to score more than 3 points because he threw 4... yes, FOUR... interceptions.</p>
<p id="9OIUZE">And it’s not just the interceptions that are the problem. Shit happens, and it happens to even the best quarterbacks (<span>Brett Favre</span> threw 336 interceptions in his career), but the main problem with Allen is that he demonstrates terrible awareness and exacerbates poor decision making with limited arm strength. All an opposing defense has to do to stop the Panthers offense right now is key in on McCaffrey and cover the 15-20 yard intermediate area around the line of scrimmage. They don’t have to worry about being beat deep because Allen can’t make those throws.</p>
<p id="w3FFGE">And we can’t blame the offensive line for the entirety of Allen’s suckage yesterday. Sure, they didn’t do him any favors, but <span>Cam Newton</span> has had to work with less. There were plenty of instances where Allen had decent protection and time to step up into the pocket and make a play, but he refused to do so. I’m not sure if he just doesn’t have the awareness to step up into the pocket when the line actually gives him one, if he is being coached to stay at the top of his eleventy foot drops, or what, but it’s a recurring problem that needs to get better if he wants to have a future in the NFL as even a backup, much less a starter.</p>
<p id="Zq9dwh">We can talk about Allen’s poise, or moxie, or leadership, or whatever other buzzword you want to use to describe why you like him so much, but we also have to talk about his ignorance of the pocket and his piss-poor decision making. If we’re really going to evaluate him as a potential starter we have to look at the good and the bad, and unfortunately for him there was a hell of a lot more bad than good against the Falcons.</p>
<p id="wxOnfy">I’m not saying his career is over or anything like that, because I think he’s a fine NFL-quality backup quarterback. I’m just saying that it’s time to pump the brakes on the Kyle Allen Hype Train and see him for what he is and what he isn’t. He is a young quarterback with potential to be a solid NFL backup. He is not going to be offseason trade bait. He is not a guy you build an NFL offense around. He is not a franchise quarterback.</p>
<p id="zNu1Ig"><strong>The entire offensive line: </strong>While they weren’t the sole reason that Allen was bad yesterday, they didn’t do him any favors by letting the Falcons defense sack him five times and chase him around the field for most of the afternoon. <span>Daryl Williams</span> is bad, and hopefully Ron Rivera sees that now (he probably doesn’t). <span>Matt Paradis</span> hasn’t lived up to expectations. <span>Taylor Moton</span> wasn’t good yesterday. <span>Greg Little</span> wasn’t good, but he looked like a guy who hasn’t played since Week 4, so he gets a slight pass. <span>Trai Turner</span> had a key penalty that turned a second-and-3 into a first-and-20 (and ended up killing the drive as the Panthers went for it on fourth down and failed).</p>
<p id="1n6M8N"><strong>Whoever was supposed to be covering </strong><a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2019/8/30/20839829/calvin-ridley-fantasy-football-dfs-salary-stats-2019"><strong>Calvin Ridley</strong></a><strong>: </strong>Ridley hauled in 8 receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown yesterday, so whoever was supposed to be covering him did not do a very good job at shutting him down. <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2019/8/30/20841614/julio-jones-fantasy-football-dfs-salary-stats-2019">Julio Jones</a> caught 6 passes for 91 yards, but 48 of those yards came on one play — a perfect throw by <span>Matt Ryan</span> over solid coverage by <span>Luke Kuechly</span>. (Yes, I know what you’re saying — ‘Why was Luke covering him in the first place?!’, but his job was to cover the middle of the field and the Falcons saw that and put Jones in the slot. Most of the time that pass is incomplete, but Ryan made a literal perfect throw. There wasn’t anything Kuechly could do about it, and it wouldn’t have mattered even if <span>James Bradberry</span> or <span>Donte Jackson</span> were in coverage.)</p>
<h2 id="skz25V">Honorable mentions</h2>
<p id="WVfkGQ"><span>Greg Olsen</span> was his usual reliable self with 5 catches for 57 yards on 5 targets. He didn’t find the end zone, but neither did anyone else. <span>Jarius Wright</span> caught a 19-yard pass on fourth-and-5 to get a huge first down with 53 seconds left in the half that would have allowed the Panthers to get some momentum heading into halftime, but it was ruined when Allen made a terrible decision and gave the ball back to the Falcons. Curtis Samuel hauled in 4 of 7 targets for 25 yards, which was a decent afternoon given how bad everything else was.</p>
<p id="0l333J"><span>Gerald McCoy</span> and <span>Mario Addison</span> played well and generated some pressure on Matt Ryan, but obviously not enough since the pass defense was dreadful. Both players ended the day with a sack, a tackle for loss and 2 quarterback hits. </p>
<p id="vPil4v">Luke Kuechly and <span>Shaq Thompson</span> also played well. Kuechly was among the team leaders in tackles (as expected) and Thompson had a tackle for loss and a pass defensed (that should have been a Pick 6, which is why he’s here and not in the ‘stock up’ section). </p>
<p id="lkmWWS">Matt Ryan threw for 311 yards and a touchdown, but on the bright side the Panthers did stop the run. The Falcons only gained 54 yards on the ground, so yay progress?</p>
<p id="RXV6fe">Of course <span>Kenjon Barner</span> returns a punt for a touchdown AFTER we cut him loose. Of course he does. You can’t do anything but laugh about it at this point.</p>
<p id="dORPbH">Oh Ron... a week after I praise you for trusting analytics over your ‘gut feeling’ you come out and say that you kicked a field goal to ‘avoid getting shut out at home’. You were losing 26-0, Ron. You need more than 3 points to come back from that. To be honest, there’s not much difference between losing 29-0 and 29-3. Both are terrible, especially to a team that is now 3-7 after beating you in your house.</p>
<p id="1z0zTh">I honestly don’t know where the Panthers go from here. I would assume they go from 5-5 to 5-6 since they pay a visit to the <a href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a> in Week 12, but I’m sure that because I’ve already prepared for this to be a loss in my mind they’ll come out inspired and pull off the upset just to give us a little shred of hope that they can turn this ship around and head towards the playoffs, right in time to stomp on that hope and completely squash it when they lose to Washington in Week 13.</p>
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https://www.catscratchreader.com/2019/11/18/20970337/panthers-3-falcons-29-at-least-the-panthers-avoided-the-shutout-at-home-stock-up-stock-downBradley Smith2019-11-18T07:00:00-05:002019-11-18T07:00:00-05:00Monday Morning Optimist: It’s not Kyle Allen’s fault
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<img alt="Atlanta Falcons v&nbsp;Carolina Panthers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YnRQuLPlJnzxMk_TjZmLXAybDEM=/1x0:2322x1547/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65721500/1188269457.jpg.0.jpg" />
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<p>The Panthers struggles are far deeper—and more superficial—than their over matched backup quarterback</p> <p id="vpovhW">The <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a> managed to put a new twist on the lop-sided style of loss they pioneered against the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a>. This time they proved to just be kind of boring in a home no-show against division rival. The team allowed touchdowns on both defense and special teams while failing to respond on offense. The result—or even nature of the final 29-3 final score—was never in doubt following the first few series. Don’t worry, the optimism is coming.</p>
<p id="qaBtho">This game, and the press conferences afterwards, gave us new clarity on a few things. The sad things is that none of that clarity is going to provide renewed hope for the 2019 season. For any Panthers fans holding onto hope for the playoffs this year, now is probably the time to let that go. At 5-5, the team is firmly out of the wildcard picture and would require some obscenely generous favors from the <a href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a> to see itself in the divisional picture. As it stands today, the Panthers could sweep New Orleans on their way to winning out their schedule and still not make the playoffs.</p>
<p id="hCRXfQ">The focus now has to be on what happens in the off season. The 2019 season isn’t over, by any means. There can still be fun. We can still spoil the Saints season to some degree. <span>Christian McCaffrey</span> can still do amazing things that make us happy on any given Sunday. It’s just that responsible analysis of this season has to be in the context of what changes need to occur between now and September 2020 for the Panthers to be a relevant part of the NFL. That means talking about the future of Ron Rivera and Marty Hurney. That means analyzing what options the team has at the quarterback position. And, yes, that means talking about the draft (but not today).</p>
<h4 id="S0NHJG">What is the value of a mistake?</h4>
<p id="IGkHxH">I can only point to one strategic error in the Panthers game plan. They thought <span>Kyle Allen</span> throwing the ball at the top of a seven step drop, often looking deep, was wise. Allen is notorious now for three things: inaccuracy throwing deep, a willingness to take sacks, and a propensity to fumble under pressure. These things aren’t Allen’s fault. He is being asked to do things on a football field that do not fit his—or his team’s—talents. The fault behind this mistake lies with the coaching staff who asked their square peg to defy his geometric destiny.</p>
<p id="plSAOS">The game plan was ostensibly disrupted by the offensive line taking a nap on the Falcon’s train tracks in the first half. The adjustment to this was to irresponsibly allow <span>Daryl Williams</span> to see snaps at right tackle in place of healthy, if struggling, Taylor Moton. Two drive killing sacks later and the Panthers coaches realized they had blundered again.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ron Rivera with the inspirational message of the day:<br><br>"You make mistakes. People make mistakes. That's life. You are going to make mistakes in life. Are you living life to the fullest? Are we playing football to the fullest? Sure seemed like it."</p>— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/agetzenberg/status/1196214474648248320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2019</a>
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<p id="Qm2c8v">Take a deep breath after reading that quote. Maybe take two. Or a walk. It’s OK to be upset when you finally confront the fact that the person most responsible for the performance of your favorite sports team has no respect for you or the time you put into that team. It’s either that Rivera has stopped engaging with reality. Neither are positive signs for his team. </p>
<p id="9Nn415">Either way, you still might want to take that walk. The wonderful thing about the internet is that this column isn’t going anywhere. Once you come back we can talk about mistakes.</p>
<p id="t9FqQN">The evidence suggesting Allen shouldn’t take deep shots on long developing plays existed long before they asked him to try that again this week. The evidence that Williams is now a fine guard but an absolute liability at tackle was straight gospel for weeks before Moton had a bad series. </p>
<p id="yi8RbX">The value of mistake can be quantified in one of two ways: either by what you learn from them or by how your opponents take advantage of them. For mistakes whose lessons are well-established, their only benefit is to opponents.</p>
<p id="nFUUQM">Head coach Ron Rivera has moved on from talking about missed opportunities to acknowledging the vague concept of ‘mistakes,’ but that doesn’t approach actually learning from them. What is the point of that if nobody takes responsibility?</p>
<p id="fYzMoT">Rivera missed his opportunities to learn from mistakes this season. His performance and attitude are giving owner David Tepper ample opportunity to prove to the Panthers that he won’t do the same.</p>
<h4 id="VIW1sE">The Panthers aren’t interested in a veteran quarterback at this time</h4>
<p id="Df3Uxk">Allen had a bad game. This is notably different from him being a bad person. As discussed above, his strengths and weaknesses leave him with a limited range of opportunities in the NFL. His best one is as an above-average back up quarterback. That’s a pretty good gig, but it is also a ceiling that is not terribly useful for the Carolina Panthers, who are in need of a long term starter at quarterback.</p>
<p id="NehZdM">While the Panthers have <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/2019/11/15/20965221/carolina-panthers-colin-kaepernick-workout-not-attending-mistake-cam-newton-david-tepper-kyle-allen">no interest in looking at a veteran quarterback</a> who has taken a team to the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a>, they are going to have to start showing interest in something. Inaction on their part leading up to the draft will be indicative of their intention to let the currently injured <span>Cam Newton</span> play out his contract. That will give the Panthers time to decide what is next on just about every front-side level of their organization. It will also give Cam the opportunity to prove if he can return to form after a series of unrelated injuries.</p>
<p id="qX6qJI">If that is their plan then they might as well say so now so that people can stop wringing their hands or, reportedly, chanting at Tepper in Charlotte-area bars. A simple statement now will save whoever is answering questions for the Panthers months of repetition.</p>
<p id="Ztxt8x">Cat Scratch Reader has been a blog that is unabashedly in favor of seeing what Cam has left. His salary next season is a below average starting quarterback salary and he is inarguably the best player in franchise history. Short of a career-ending diagnosis, not giving Cam a second chance is foolish given the MVP-caliber returns from his first one.</p>
<h4 id="tzi9NO">The Panthers on field product isn’t actually awful</h4>
<p id="p1KfH9">I saved this bit for the end. Saying that the Panthers, who just lost convincingly at home to a previously 2-7 team, aren’t that bad seems like a bit of a hot take. It isn’t, and I trust that if you have read the first thousand words of this column then you are willing to hear me out. This is where the optimism has been hiding.</p>
<p id="b6WYix">The offense is ready to be used by a good quarterback. It has the skill position players to move the ball and score at will. They have a line that is average often enough to give the team a chance. Most teams have questionable offensive lines these days, so that problem isn’t unique to the Panthers. Newton dragged a worse line and a far worse skill group to the playoffs in 2017.</p>
<p id="LlZXW4">The defense hasn’t been as bad as we want to believe, with the exception of the San Francisco game. Even yesterday wasn’t actually that bad. The Falcons only scored one touchdown on offense before the game was out of reach. They only scored two on the day. The rest of the day was turnover-assisted short fields, a special teams touchdown, and long drives that stalled out for field goals. The Panthers defense did enough of a job yesterday that a mediocre offense could have given the team a chance. Instead, the lopsided score is going to feel like a defensive failure as much as an offensive one and raise questions about the nature and direction of both sides of the ball.</p>
<p id="blrlxG">The Panthers made a dedicated effort to get faster up front this season. They succeeded, with the predictable side effect of getting lighter. That has led to them being mildly more vulnerable to the run than in the past. But that doesn’t account for all of their struggles this season. </p>
<p id="cGIEXf">Kawaan Short, <span>Gerald McCoy</span>, <span>Vernon Butler</span>, <span>Kyle Love</span>, <span>Bruce Irvin</span>, <span>Mario Addison</span>, <span>Brian Burns</span>, <span>Christian Miller</span>, <span>James Bradberry</span>, <span>Donte Jackson</span>, and <span>Ross Cockrell</span> have all missed game time this season, largely due to injury. That leaves <span>Luke Kuechly</span>, <span>Tre Boston</span>, and <span>Eric Reid</span> as the lone starters on defense who have played in every game.</p>
<p id="7ZaCLu">Run defense is predicated on gap discipline and communication. It isn’t surprising that a team with as little stability as the Panthers has suffered in that realm. They are still producing turnovers at a prodigious rate and they lead the league in sacks. The Panthers accomplished their goal of improving the pass rush by getting lighter, but we can’t judge if that was at too high of a cost to the run defense or not. Not yet.</p>
<p id="bi0svJ">Looked at honestly, the Panthers talent shakes out at above average on both offense and defense. For as much as I aggressively hint that the team would benefit from significant front office changes, they are still only a quarterback and a reliable return specialist away from being a good team under the current administration.</p>
<p id="VGTlgk">That means two things for you, the fan watching these games every Sunday. First, the Panthers will put together some surprisingly good football this season. That much talent will shine through, even if only accidentally. Second, the team doesn’t need to completely detonate and rebuild to be competitive in some distant, idyllic future. This year’s draft conversations can still be focused on who can improve these Panthers instead of desperately searching for a new franchise cornerstone. They can compete next year if they can answer the quarterback question with an adequate athlete, regardless of who they are.</p>
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https://www.catscratchreader.com/2019/11/18/20969771/carolina-panthers-kyle-allen-ron-rivera-fault-fired-monday-morning-optimist-brian-burns-nfl-draftWalker Clement2019-11-17T16:18:05-05:002019-11-17T16:18:05-05:00The Panthers failed to show up for a home game against the Falcons and lost 29-3
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Y5g45gmRnytSSkCNid_IY2SnW7U=/0x0:3998x2665/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65706173/usa_today_11893314.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Panthers were dominated in all three phases of the game against the Falcons.</p> <p id="SPpzs1">There are really not enough words to describe how awfully putrid the Carolina Panthers were today, at home, against a 2-7 Atlanta Falcons team. </p>
<p id="ExGiDa">The Falcons completely whipped the Panthers’ asses in all three phases of the game. Full stop. There isn’t a single thing the Panthers could have done to avoid this result today. “Play better” isn’t even a good starting point. The entire team — save for Luke Kuechly, DJ Moore and Christian McCaffrey — was either mediocre, bad, or just plan awful.</p>
<p id="gB2olt">Kyle Allen was garbage today. There’s no nice way to say it. He was 31-of-50 for 325 yards, but with no touchdowns and FOUR interceptions. Several of which when the Panthers were in scoring position. Several of which that were either horrible throws or terrible decisions or a combination of the two.</p>
<p id="tLfk7K">I don’t know if Cam Newton is going to come back healthy in 2020 and I don’t know if the Panthers are going to move on from him or not, but I do know that Kyle Allen is not the answer at quarterback. He is not the future. The league has already figured him out, and if the Panthers continue to roll with him beyond 2019 they’re going to regret it. </p>
<p id="Xgbyfa">Why the Panthers didn’t take a look at Will Grier today is something I’ll never understand. They used a third round pick (No. 100 overall) to bring him in, and on a day when Allen clearly didn’t have the answers they failed to put him out there to evaluate what he has (or doesn’t have). It just doesn’t make any sense.</p>
<p id="TfYiQl">Heads should roll following a loss like this. The Panthers were blown out at home by a 2-7 team. If David Tepper was as upset following the shellacking by the San Francisco 49ers, then this loss should be the tipping point where he steps in and does something. I don’t know if Ron Rivera has lost the locker room or not because I’m not in there, but he’s clearly lost the ability to adjust on the field when things aren’t going right — if he ever had that ability at all.</p>
<p id="bqZB5Z">I don’t know what else to say at this point. The Panthers are now 5-5 and have a Week 12 matchup with the New Orleans Saints next Sunday. I’m not sure they’ll leave New Orleans with a 6-5 record, but crazier things have happened. I just hope we don’t have to sit through the same kind of shitshow we witnessed today, because frankly I don’t know if any of us can take much more of that.</p>
<p id="aSATiM">I know you’re probably angry and searching for answers right now, so sound off with your thoughts, Panthers fans.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="RoCRN8">
<h2 id="8rs9vo">Live updates</h2>
<p id="VrAnTk"><strong>Final score: Panthers 3 Falcons 29</strong></p>
<p id="eSwmFP">Palardy punts and that’s gonna pretty much do it with 0:11 left.</p>
<p id="e1IkaR">Hey, it’s 4th-and-long again.</p>
<p id="Xhqh3O">CMC is finally out of the game. </p>
<p id="E4Et9Q"><strong>Two minute warning: Panthers 3 Falcons 29</strong></p>
<p id="92VKNg">Hey the defense forced a punt!</p>
<p id="FXrgBQ">LOL another interception. It’s comical at this point.</p>
<p id="ApaiDm">The Panthers are trying to drive late, but it’s not gonna do much to change the narrative of this game.</p>
<p id="KaOOkD">DJ Moore and Christian McCaffrey have played well today. At least we have that.</p>
<p id="HJUw76">The Falcons settle for a field goal. <strong>Panthers 3 Falcons 29</strong></p>
<p id="aBso9c">They’re unable to stop them on 2nd-and-goal, but they’re bailed out by a holding call.</p>
<p id="woktEO">It’s 2nd-and-goal for the Falcons after the defense successfully prevents the touchdown on 1st-and-goal.</p>
<p id="dDnaM9">It’s 3rd-and-10, but that doesn’t matter as the Falcons pick up the first.</p>
<p id="D7iEQJ">Ryan to Ridley for another big gain. Sigh.</p>
<p id="L9NMkr">FIELD GOAL PANTHERS: Slye’s kick is good so at least we scored. <strong>Panthers 3 Falcons 26</strong></p>
<p id="NmLUuI">It’s 4th-and-7 so the Panthers will try to avoid the shut out with a field goal.</p>
<p id="sdz7id">And he tried again but the defender just batted it away.</p>
<p id="xElvxt">Well, he tried to throw a pick in the end zone but the defender dropped it.</p>
<p id="RvjJ8u">The Panthers are in field goal range, but the last two times that’s happened Allen has thrown interceptions. Let’s see what happens this time.</p>
<p id="yjyfrG"><strong>End of 3rd quarter: Panthers 0 Falcons 26</strong></p>
<p id="PdaekW">It’s probably too little, too late though.</p>
<p id="N92qlO">It looks like the Panthers have an actual drive going right now, which is nice.</p>
<p id="3WVwTt">The Panthers are going for it on 4th-and-1 and they do not get it. CMC is stuffed at the line and the Falcons take over on downs. This game cannot end soon enough.</p>
<p id="sbCoIW">And look, they scored another touchdown. This time it’s Calvin Ridley. Can this game end already? The Falcons go for two and fail to convert. <strong>Panthers 0 Falcons 26</strong></p>
<p id="GlW1yF">Oh look, the Falcons are in a goal-to-go situation.</p>
<p id="iTRzS9">And guess what? They got the 1st down on the QB sneak. Amazing how that play works on short yardage...</p>
<p id="7ZmuCa">The Falcons are going for it, though.</p>
<p id="6mDC9P">Hey, the Panthers got a stop on 3rd-and-1.</p>
<p id="qjYkpg">And they don’t convert as Allen is sacked.</p>
<p id="YtA0aF">The Panthers are going for it on 4th-and-5 instead of kicking a 52-yard field goal.</p>
<p id="G6v1ww">And now it’s 3rd-and-12 after a screen to Bonnafon doesn’t work.</p>
<p id="UX02XP">2nd-and-14 after a holding penalty.</p>
<p id="8doXI6">Allen dumps it off to CMC for another 23 yards. They should keep running that play.</p>
<p id="7bjhAi">CMC picks up a first down with an 18-yard carry.</p>
<p id="SNqqdi">Kyle Allen’s first pass is almost picked off. Yikes.</p>
<p id="vA11Ft">And we’re back for the second half. The Panthers start on offense.</p>
<p id="BvmZLe"><strong>Halftime: Panthers 0 Falcons 20</strong></p>
<p id="j8JHBs">Seriously, play Will Grier.</p>
<p id="63VNZm">LOL and of course Allen throws another interception.</p>
<p id="vFRqev">Hey! Allen finds Jarius Wright for a big 1st down!</p>
<p id="s5Vngw">Hey guess what? It’s 4th down again.</p>
<p id="dCjzio">And that play is followed up by a sack on Allen. Big yikes.</p>
<p id="tQ9qNK">Hey! A big play to DJ Moore! 32 yards and a 1st down!</p>
<p id="ZUlQKA">As expected, the Falcons punch it into the end zone. The XP is good. <strong>Panthers 0 Falcons 20</strong></p>
<p id="hqk9Y5">And then there’s a roughing the passer penalty that puts the ball on the 1-yard line. Yikes.</p>
<p id="50Jl9t">LOL Ryan fires deep to Julio Jones and you know what happened. Luke Kuechly was in coverage, so yeah... you know what happened.</p>
<p id="kSJqVr"><strong>Two minute warning: Panthers 0 Falcons 13</strong></p>
<p id="imNW6Y">The Falcons pick up a big chunk on 2nd down but get called for an ineligible receiver downfield and it doesn’t count. It’s 2nd and 15.</p>
<p id="5oyqlj">Barner muffs the punt but recovers it quickly.</p>
<p id="4PtFpd">(The Panthers didn’t get it.)</p>
<p id="JLCjJq">And now it’s 3rd-and-21</p>
<p id="hJeIG7">LOL of course there’s a penalty on the play. It’s a chop block on Trai Turner and now it’s 2nd-and-24 instead of 1st-and-10.</p>
<p id="V0v7fd">The Panthers didn’t go 3-and-out, so that’s nice.</p>
<p id="lMvCvy">The Falcons are going to settle for a field goal on 4th down. It’s good. <strong>Panthers 0 Falcons 13</strong></p>
<p id="uAYtr3">But wait, it’s overturned on review!</p>
<p id="5mqR1u">And of course, the Falcons score a touchdown.</p>
<p id="wrJUII">Big 3rd down here. 13-0 vs 17-0 is huge right now.</p>
<p id="zh1YOb">The Falcons are moving the ball at will right now. This could get ugly.</p>
<p id="2lLnCR">I think it’s time to look at Will Grier.</p>
<p id="UvaZ06">LOL Kyle Allen just threw a pick into the end zone. LOLOLOLOLOL</p>
<p id="LXh1XT">The Panthers pick up the 1st down on 4th-and-2.</p>
<p id="shW6s4">ALL ABOARD THE RIVERBOAT</p>
<p id="A9Fby8">The Panthers fail to convert on 3rd down again. They are 0-fer so far today.</p>
<p id="JZHMPm"><strong>End of 1st quarter: Panthers 0 Falcons 10</strong></p>
<p id="3m1Nj7">LOL Kenjon Barner just returned the punt for a touchdown. The XP is good. This is comical. <strong>Panthers 0 Falcons 10</strong></p>
<p id="er7X75">It’s quickly 3rd and long again, and Allen gets sacked again. Sigh.</p>
<p id="ApSk9p">Allen found Bonnafon open down field and he can’t come up with it. You have to make that catch.</p>
<p id="XM45TN">WE GOT A FIRST DOWN!</p>
<p id="npZb0I">The punt lands in the end zone for a touchback.</p>
<p id="OSEIUQ">Oh man Shaq Thompson had a pick-six and couldn’t come up with it. It’s 4th down though, so at least there’s that.</p>
<p id="5wfCkT">And Allen gets sacked on 3rd down. At least he didn’t throw a pick this time.</p>
<p id="q3SEc4">Christian McCaffrey hit 1000 rushing yards on the season though, so that’s nice.</p>
<p id="FcM7hS">It’s quickly 3rd down again.</p>
<p id="lpmWtZ">And the kick is no good! <strong>Panthers 0 Falcons 3</strong></p>
<p id="TlGXlF">SACK! Mario Addison takes Ryan down and forces the Falcons to settle for another field goal attempt.</p>
<p id="QNe2YS">It’s 3rd down again.</p>
<p id="KZqsEu">The Falcons are penalized for an ineligible receiver downfield on 1st down.</p>
<p id="EfLvsV">You probably expected this, but they gave up a 1st down.</p>
<p id="C7B50G">Big 3rd down for the defense. Let’s see what happens.</p>
<p id="VH8ke6">LOL and Allen throws an interception instead of just taking the sack. LOL</p>
<p id="HHxRla">It’s 3rd down after two quick plays for a total of six yards.</p>
<p id="nkhVum">And the kick is good. <strong>Panthers 0 Falcons 3</strong></p>
<p id="wqQfBF">And another big hit by Boston to set up 4th down. The Falcons will attempt the field goal.</p>
<p id="XmHk8G">Big 3rd down here for the defense.</p>
<p id="ewamzP">Big hit by Tre Boston to shut down an end around.</p>
<p id="aiqB29">And on 1st down Calvin Ridley picks up 34 yards. This could be going better.</p>
<p id="RQB1H6">The Panthers forced a 3rd down but let the Falcons pick up 14 yards and a first down. Sigh.</p>
<p id="ixtYPS">The Falcons win the coin toss and elect to receive. The Panthers will start the game on defense.</p>
<p id="ttY5pe">Kickoff is just 15 minutes away. Stay tuned for live updates and running commentary!</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="BLrS5P">
<h2 id="dAyAUj">Pregame</h2>
<p id="yGSYyj"><em>Hey Panthers fans, are you looking to go to Bank of America Stadium to watch the Panthers (hopefully) beat the Falcons on Sunday? If you are, then you’re in luck! You can </em><a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=7219&awinaffid=173843&clickref=CatScratchReader&p=[[https%253A%252F%252Fwww.stubhub.com%252Fcarolina-panthers-tickets-carolina-panthers-charlotte-bank-of-america-stadium-11-17-2019%252Fevent%252F104058304%252F%253Fsort%253Dprice%252Basc]]" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>buy tickets to this Sunday’s Panthers-Falcons game from StubHub by clicking HERE!</em></a></p>
<p id="TVCr6R">The <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a> (5-4) are coming off a disappointing Week 10 loss on the road against the <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a> and will look to rebound against their hated division rival, the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a> (2-7), who have been through a lot of pain and suffering this season and are probably ready for it to be over. (You hate to see it.)</p>
<p id="mcQrYl">Below you will find all the information you need to catch the action as it happens live.</p>
<h2 id="Md7sdb">Game day information</h2>
<p id="KkgfbM"><strong>What:</strong> <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a> vs <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a><br><strong>When:</strong> Sunday, November 17 at 1 p.m. ET<br><strong>Where:</strong> Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, N.C.)<br><strong>TV: </strong>FOX; Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth (<a href="https://506sports.com/nfl.php?yr=2019&wk=11">Coverage map</a>)<br><strong>Tickets: </strong><a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=7219&awinaffid=173843&clickref=CatScratchReader&p=[[https%253A%252F%252Fwww.stubhub.com%252Fcarolina-panthers-tickets-carolina-panthers-charlotte-bank-of-america-stadium-11-17-2019%252Fevent%252F104058304%252F%253Fsort%253Dprice%252Basc]]" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Get your tickets for Panthers-Falcons from StubHub!</a><br><strong>Streaming:</strong> <a href="https://fave.co/2zL7fnP" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">FuboTV</a>, <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/">Fox Sports Go</a> (tv login required), <a href="https://mobile.yahoo.com/sports">Yahoo! Sports</a>, <a href="http://apps.yinzcam.com/nfl/car">Panthers mobile</a><br><strong>Radio:</strong> <a href="https://www.panthers.com/news/radio">Panthers radio</a> (local); Mick Mixon, Jake Delhomme<br><strong>Spanish Radio:</strong> <a href="https://www.panthers.com/news/espanol">Panthers radio</a> (local); Jaime Moreno, Luis Moreno Jr<br><strong>Weather:</strong> 53° / Mostly Sunny / 12 mph NNE wind / 0% rain (<a href="https://weather.com/weather/weekend/l/Charlotte+NC?canonicalCityId=f78cb48d07cf1327d6a305183f2f480ab1d9cdf70de847b861272c3c87edb696">Complete forecast</a>)</p>
<h2 id="Kr7YDa">Miscellaneous information</h2>
<p id="PZoSRj">Need more details? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.</p>
<h4 id="TIrisK">Mobile app</h4>
<p id="Ry5FSE">You can download the official Panthers app to get live score updates during the game straight to your phone. Also, if you live in the N.C./S.C. market you can listen to the live radio broadcast of every game with the app. You can find the Panthers app in your phone’s app store or you can <a href="http://apps.yinzcam.com/nfl/car">download the app here.</a></p>
<h4 id="bTp6Ej">Online streaming</h4>
<p id="Pm0ns0"><a href="https://fave.co/2zL7fnP" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">FuboTV</a>: You can stream and record live NFL games on FuboTV if you purchase a monthly subscription to their service. (Note: You cannot watch games that are broadcast on ESPN.)</p>
<p id="pCRdmU"><a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/">FOX Sports Go</a>: You can stream live NFL games broadcast on FOX with FOX Sports Go</p>
<p id="89S0oK"><em><strong>Note: A tv provider login is required to stream on Fox Sports GO.</strong></em></p>
<p id="WTz2uD"><a href="https://mobile.yahoo.com/sports">Yahoo! Sports</a>: You can stream live NFL games on Yahoo! Sports’ mobile app.</p>
<p id="A37OlO"><a href="http://panthers.com/">Panthers.com</a>: You can stream all Panthers games on their website.</p>
<p id="Q8STsj"><em><strong>Note: Streaming on Panthers.com is only available for in-market fans.</strong></em></p>
<p id="Fs61Af"><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nfl.com%2Fgamepass" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">NFL GamePass</a>: You can stream all NFL regular season games on demand if you purchase NFL Game Pass. <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nfl.com%2Fgamepass" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">It’s a little pricey at $99</a>, but it also includes access to All-22 film. If you’re just desperate to watch the Panthers game there is a 7-day free trial, but sign up at your own risk if you’re one of those people who forgets to cancel before the free trial is over.</p>
<p id="LVhn1m"><em><strong>Note: You cannot watch regular season games live with NFL GamePass. You have to wait until after the games are over before you can stream them.</strong></em></p>
<p id="RwAEaV"><a href="https://www.panthers.com/watch-live-games/ways-to-watch">To find more ways to watch the Panthers, click here.</a></p>
<h4 id="0o4WQg">TV replays</h4>
<p id="aoPicN">NFL Network will air condensed replays of a selected group of regular season games throughout the week. To see if/when the Panthers’ game will be replayed, you can check <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nfl.com%2Fnetwork%2Fschedule&referrer=sbnation.com" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">NFL Network’s television schedule</a> for more information.</p>
<h4 id="vcddyy">Roaring Riot watch parties</h4>
<p id="QJC2pH">If you’re unable to watch the game via live tv or streaming, or if you prefer to watch in the company of fellow Panthers fans, check out the <a href="https://roaringriot.com/pages/riot-watch-parties">Roaring Riot</a> to see if there is a watch party in your area. Membership is not required to get in the door, but if you’re interested in purchasing a membership you can find all the information you need <a href="https://roaringriot.com/collections/membership">here</a>.</p>
<h4 id="Org5gI">Tickets</h4>
<p id="tap6FU">Get your tickets to this Sunday’s Panthers-Falcons game from StubHub by <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=7219&awinaffid=173843&clickref=CatScratchReader&p=[[https%253A%252F%252Fwww.stubhub.com%252Fcarolina-panthers-tickets-carolina-panthers-charlotte-bank-of-america-stadium-11-17-2019%252Fevent%252F104058304%252F%253Fsort%253Dprice%252Basc]]" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">clicking here.</a></p>
<h4 id="9sohwd">Uniforms</h4>
<p id="lZCDSk">The Panthers will wear black jerseys for this game.</p>
<h4 id="FCoJle">Odds</h4>
<p id="nZHGYb">If you’re into that sort of thing, you can find info on NFL game odds by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/odds">clicking here</a>.</p>
<p id="aggFAR">Stay tuned for a live update thread when the game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday!</p>
<p id="xsOtRA"><em>Cat Scratch Reader has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Cat Scratch Reader and SB Nation may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our </em><a href="https://www.sbnation.com/pages/guiding-principles?_ga=2.240542981.782000093.1567114666-713609634.1567114666"><em>guiding principles</em></a><em>.</em></p>
https://www.catscratchreader.com/2019/11/15/20962727/panthers-3-falcons-29-carolina-panthers-embarrassed-at-home-by-atlanta-falcons-god-this-was-terribleBradley Smith2019-11-17T14:37:07-05:002019-11-17T14:37:07-05:00Panthers vs Falcons: 2nd half open thread
<figure>
<img alt="Atlanta Falcons v Carolins Panthers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rznrpa_eVX74HHbkP7ITbDA4KuE=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65718636/1074803982.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Panthers trail the Falcons 20-0 at the half.</p> <p id="sKEBYe">The <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a> trail the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a> 20-0 at the half. The best thing about this game is that it’s halfway over. This has been nothing short of a disaster.</p>
<p id="znZqbI">If you’re still here, let’s keep the conversation going. Use this space to talk about the action as it unfolds.</p>
<p id="XMo9XN">You know the drill.</p>
<p id="3mZ3Jb"><em><strong>This is now an open thread!</strong></em></p>
https://www.catscratchreader.com/2019/11/17/20969183/panthers-vs-falcons-2nd-half-open-threadBradley Smith2019-11-17T12:30:00-05:002019-11-17T12:30:00-05:00Panthers vs Falcons: 1st half open thread
<figure>
<img alt="Which Panthers backup RB if any can ease the load on star Christian McCaffrey?" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jwqDP83oDN-NFPySUv7qJOusLWU=/0x0:2000x1333/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65718258/1155342769.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Panthers take on the Falcons at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. on Sunday, November 17 at 1 p.m. ET.</p> <p id="sKEBYe">The <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a> and <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a> square off today in an NFC South battle that could have serious playoff implications for the Panthers. If the Panthers lose today it all but eliminates them from the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-playoff-picture">NFC playoff picture</a> since they would need too much help from other teams to have a realistic shot at making it. </p>
<p id="hYMYUj">I said all that to say this — the Panthers need to win today. Hopefully they’re able to do just that.</p>
<p id="znZqbI">Use this space to talk about the action as it unfolds.</p>
<p id="XMo9XN">You know the drill.</p>
<p id="3mZ3Jb"><em><strong>This is now an open thread!</strong></em></p>
https://www.catscratchreader.com/2019/11/17/20969172/panthers-vs-falcons-1st-half-open-threadBradley Smith2019-11-16T11:05:00-05:002019-11-16T11:05:00-05:00The Panthers are 4.5 point home favorites over the Falcons
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wgt0aRfzfx2cRH3ChkkfamrZ4kM=/0x0:4571x3047/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65714291/usa_today_11893146.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>There should a lot of offense in this one...so that means the defenses will shine.</p> <p id="MweCcJ">If not for the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a> win over the <a href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a> last Sunday in New Orleans I would completely agree on the <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a> <a href="https://topbet.eu/sportsbook/football/nfl">covering the 4.5 point spread</a>. Yet the Falcons defense was quite impressive on the road which now gives me pause. A three point win by the Panthers is still a win.</p>
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<p id="CzzRfR">Moving to the over/under of 49 points, I am also torn. Just like the spread, I now wonder if defense might instead rule this day. Well rule it enough to stay under 49 points. Something to the tune of 23-20. <a href="https://www.bettingpros.com/nfl/matchups/">Betting Pros</a> appears to reflect this thinking.</p>
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<p id="qVpdaQ">While the experts at Betting Pros may favor the Panthers to cover it is very close and not enough to feel confident about it. Same with the under of 49 points. I do feel confident running back <span>Christian McCaffrey</span> will keep his touchdown streak going yet the Falcons defense will be focused on him.</p>
<p id="tade51">If you are looking for a bet with better confidence then consider these:</p>
<p id="FUj0gZ"><a href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Dallas Cowboys</a> (-7) over <a href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a> (90 percent likely to cover)</p>
<p id="eBGJKq"><a href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/">New York Jets</a> (+2.5) to cover Washington on the road (78 percent likely to cover)</p>
<p id="Y9TWPT"><a href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com/">Kansas City Chiefs</a> (-4) over <a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Los Angeles Chargers</a> (76 percent likely to cover)</p>
https://www.catscratchreader.com/2019/11/16/20967996/nfl-carolina-panthers-are-4-5-point-home-favorites-over-the-atlanta-falconsJaxon