The Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers will be battling it out in this Week 8 match, and both teams aren’t exactly setting the league on fire at the moment. The Falcons have bounced back from a disastrous opening day where they blew a double-digit lead and lost to the New Orleans Saints.
A repeat of this is unlikely, considering the complete disarray within the Carolina Panthers at the moment. At the beginning of the season, the Panthers were considered outsiders to reach the Super Bowl, which is completely understandable.
If you’d have placed a bet on the Panthers to reach the Super Bowl at the start of the season, you’d be kicking yourself wishing you’d placed it now, as their odds have more than doubled. Not to fret, though, because there are plenty of weekly bets you can still take advantage of fully, such as starting lineup betting. Just ensure you’re up-to-date on your injury reports before making a foolish wager!
I mean, if you’d have placed a wager on the Panthers reaching the Super Bowl, you probably aren’t the biggest NFL fan in the world. You’d have been better off taking your dollar, turning it into a ball, and aiming for the nearest trash can.
However, the Atlanta Falcons didn’t start the season as big favorites for the Super Bowl, either. They found themselves towards the bottom end of that list. The odds for either of these teams getting there are astronomical.
The likelihood is that this game will be a nip-and-tuck affair and could be decided by one huge play from any of the key players for the Falcons. It’s hard to see which Panthers player can grab the game and win it for them. They just seem very flat at the moment.
The Falcons have struggled to find replacements for some of their marquee players of this decade. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones left Atlanta for other ventures, and their loss has created a sizeable hole in the squad. The squad isn’t completely devoid of talent and this isn’t a hit piece on the Falcons by any means, as they already have notched up a couple of wins this season.
Some young stars are coming through and making a name for themselves. The most notable of these is tight end star, Kyle Pitts. Despite only recently turning 22, Pitts has shown he has exactly what it takes to become a superstar of the NFL.
Unfortunately for Pitts, his season hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts. Issues with his hamstring have derailed his hopes of further raising his game. However, he is still young and blessed with incredible talent and will no doubt return to prove his quality soon.
After becoming the first rookie named to the Pro Bowl at his position in 20 years, he will be frustrated that he hasn’t been able to continue this incredible run of form. He is still young and should put himself back into contention soon, but his absence is a concern for the Falcons.
The Falcons seem more in control of their franchise at the moment than the Panthers, though. Losing three of their first four games certainly wasn’t on the agenda at the beginning of the season. How the Panthers have struggled to pick up points will be a huge worry for the organization, which recently fired head coach Matt Rhule. In addition to this dreadful start, their offense looks pitiful. It offers no creativity, skill, or inspiration at the moment. It also isn’t easy to see where these will come from.
Improvements need to happen as soon as humanly possible. Otherwise, the Panthers will be kissing this season goodbye before it has even really begun. This is one of several tough games for them before the midseason.
Just to compound their misery, they’ll be traveling to the Mercedes-Benz stadium and trying to turn their season’s fortunes around in front of a loud and energetic crowd that’ll be fully behind the Falcons.
With reports of some of their big players leaving due to huge salary projections for this season, it seems like now is a good time to play the Panthers. On the face of it, it appears the team is struggling to be managed on and off the pitch. This will also be on interim coach Steve Wilks’ mind.
If Pitts is back in contention for this one, we’re going to say the Falcons should have enough to win this game and look to move into their next game with added confidence. Both these teams aren’t exactly going to meet in this year’s Super Bowl, and I think we can say that with some certainty.
However, this has the potential to be an exciting game and should see the Falcons leave with the win.
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