Falcons vs. Panthers: a quick look at the series history

The Falcons and the Panthers have played some heated football games over the years. Who among you hasn’t screamed at the television after a Cam Newton dab? But the Panthers ushered Newton out of Carolina during the off-season, welcoming Teddy Bridgewater with open arms. Bridgewater has the Panthers in contention at 2-2, having completed 73 percent of his passes, a completion percentage that makes his predecessor’s look, well, as bad as it is.

This will be the Falcons’ first divisional game this season. At 0-4, the franchise is in a dicey spot, and they could really use a win to boost morale. But let’s be honest, this team is a train wreck, and the Falcons probably won’t win, even if they are 1 point favorites at home. Let’s take a quick look at this series history before kick off tomorrow.

Because they play in the same division, the Falcons get to play the Panthers twice a year. Interestingly, they’ve never faced off in the playoffs. The Falcons hold a respectable 32-18 lead in this series.

Historically, there have been stretches where the Falcons simply dominated the Panthers. For example, between 1998 and 2004, the Falcons won 12 of the 15 games they played against the Panthers. And lucky for us, we’re currently living through one such stretch: The Falcons have won 8 of their last 9 games against the Panthers, taking us all the way back to December 2015.

The Falcons and the Panthers first played on September 3, 1995; the Falcons won that game in overtime, 23-20. The last time these two teams faced off was December 9, 2019, a 40-20 Falcons victory. Matt Ryan threw a 93 yard touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus, the longest in his career. He also hit 50,000 passing yards, becoming only the 10th quarterback to reach that mark.

Your thoughts about this fun-filled series history, Falcoholics?