Falcons vs. Panthers: Who will win?

Kyle McClendon - Falcons 21, Panthers 24

My brain and my heart disagree on this one. My heart says the Falcons jump on the Panthers early and the defense forces a turnover or two, but my brain says that the Panthers defense is just too good and Cam is too talented. My brain wins, but not by much.

I think think the offense continues to play well and Matt Ryan keeps up his hot streak, but this defense is not good enough to stop anyone yet. Twenty-one points on this defense is pretty good, I think, but the Panthers’ defense does enough to force the Falcons’ defense to win the game--no one feels comfortable about that.

Kendall Jackson - Falcons 27, Panthers 20

If the 49ers and Vikings were able to move the ball against the Panthers’ vaunted defense, then I have no doubt the Falcons’ top-ranked offense will find plenty of success in the Georgia Dome. Atlanta obviously doesn’t have anything remotely close to a defense like Denver or Minnesota, but I think they can do just enough.

DW - Falcons 24, Panthers 21

I think the Falcons offense is slowed down by the Panthers excellent linebacking crew, but I get the feeling Vic and Freeney finally come alive in this game (at least, I hope they do). If so, the Vikings showed that rattling Cam is the way to beat the Panthers. If we can’t get to him, this could get very ugly.

Allen Strk- Panthers 30, Falcons 23

Carolina has too much offensive firepower against a below-average Falcons’ defense. When Cam Newton receives protection, he picks apart defenses and makes throws that only he can attempt on a weekly basis. Greg Olsen should prove to be a matchup nightmare against Quinn’s Cover Three defense, which allows far too much space for tight ends. The offense will have their moments. The combination of Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis will nullify Atlanta’s ability to run the ball effectively. It should be relatively competitive, before Carolina’s superior talent takes over in the fourth quarter

Caleb Rutherford - Panthers 31, Falcons 21

While the Falcons’ offense was spectacular last week, don't forget that the Saints and Raiders sport defenses that rival our own. After all, we only hung 24 on the Bucs, whose defense has been on a downward spiral since their Coaches’ Revenge game in week 1. This week, we face a real defense.

We won against an awful Saints team who could have just as easily beaten us if not for a pick 6 that lead to a 14 point swing (reminder we won by 13)

Dave Choate - Falcons 24, Panthers 30

I want to believe the Falcons will win this one, but ultimately I can’t get there. Carolina’s going to be motivated, they have Cam Newton on their side, and the Falcons haven’t been able to stop much of anything thus far.

Kevin Knight - Falcons 24, Panthers 23

This game could easily go either way, but after the last two weeks I’m going with the momentum of the Falcons. Carolina has struggled out of the gate (albeit against two elite defenses), but they haven’t looked anything like the dominant team they were in 2015. Outside of the second half against San Francisco, they have looked very mortal. They also allowed 27 points to that awful 49ers team. If Atlanta plays like they did last year in the Dome, they have a shot to take down the Panthers.