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I don’t need to lay out the stakes for you here, because they are evident. The Falcons have overcome a lot of poor games to have a real shot at making the playoffs here, but the only way they can guarantee that outcome is if they win. Considering the Seahawks are playing a mediocre Cardinals team in Seattle, that win is critically important.
To get it, they’ll have to go through a Panthers team that would absolutely love to knock them out of the playoffs for the second time in four seasons, and will be rolling out all its starters. The good news is that Carolina is missing a small handful of key players, including starting guard Trai Turner, but it’s going to be a tooth and nail sort of fight all day. My only hope is that Atlanta pulls it off.
As always, we’ll be talking about it all day, so stay tuned for our predictions, our very simple rooting guide, and more. Go Falcons!
Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers Week 17
Time: Sunday, December 31, 4:25 p.m. EST
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
TV Channel: FOX
Radio: 92.9 The Game
Odds: The Falcons are 3-4 point favorites, depending on who you ask
Prediction: Falcons win, 24-17
Key Questions: Will the Falcons win? Basically nothing else matters, given the stakes.
SB Nation Opposition Site: Cat Scratch Reader
Twitter: @TheFalcoholic
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