The Falcons came to Charlotte Thursday night to reclaim the NFC South lead. Instead, they left subdued and defeated, not only by the rainy remnants of Hurricane Nicole, but by their rival Panthers as well. Neither side was particularly inspiring in such sloppy conditions, but while Arthur Smith’s offensive faltered until the final minutes and Marcus practically begged Mariota Desmond Ridder to replace him on every other downfield usury, Carolina under caretaker coach Steve Wilks was actually showing a life boost a 100-yard night from D’Onta Foreman as well as a wild performance from her defensive line to seal a 25-15 win.
The Panthers improve to 3-7 with the win and to 2-3 since Wilks replaced Matt Rhule on the touchline. PJ Walker repeated his starting roll under center for the win but stayed in the background as Carolina braced on the run. Mariota, meanwhile, inexplicably aired more than usual for Atlanta and fired some ill-advised deep shots as the Falcons fell to 4-6 behind the Buccaneers in the South.
Here are some additional takeaways from Thursday night’s divisional competition:
Why the Panthers won
They played exactly the kind of football that should be played when hurricanes are inundating the action. D’Onta Foreman was the definition of a workhorse despite Chuba Hubbard’s return from injury, and he handled 31 carries like a pro, always moving forward, and finished with 130 yards and a hard-earned score. His efforts to turn the clock relieved PJ Walker, who was spotted early but established himself as an offensive backhand. However, Steve Wilks’ defense was the real winner, chasing Marcus Mariota all night. In a relatively quiet evening for Brian Burns, everyone else with Shaq Thompson, Derrick Brown, Frankie Luv and Marquis Haynes combined to celebrate four sacks and nine tackles for the loss. This entire unit played confidently, using the weather to their advantage and delivering a narrow win in a short week.
Why the Falcons lost
Younghoe Koo missed two extra points in the rain – a first for him in his prestigious young career – but Atlanta’s problems went well beyond special teams. The main problem: Arthur Smith’s attack, refusing to use Cordarrelle Patterson early on, inexplicably got heavier on the pass in the rain, delivering one of Mariota’s worst performances in a season full of iffy outings. The QB showed fight late and drew the game to a score, but only after throwing a bad interception (and at least three other potential picks) while forcing off-mark throws from the constantly underused Kyle Pitts. Atlanta’s “D” eventually wore down against the run and also allowed a big Laviska Shenault TD on a swing pass, but this was mostly a case of Smith’s group failing when it mattered most and only 3 of 13 on the third or fourth place plays.
turning point
Leading 13-9 in the third quarter, the Panthers had just allowed the Falcons to catch up with a pass from Mariota TD to Drake London. But then, two games into the series that followed, Carolina gained 43 yards on a short pass to Terrace Marshall Jr., who lost several tackles to push the Panthers fully into Atlanta’s 40 the drive with a 13-yard scoring run from Foreman to finally confirm their lead.
game of the game
The Panthers showed early on that they could make Mariota uncomfortable, and that was never more evident than when the pressure forced the Falcons QB to roll out of the pocket to the left and then hurl him deep – into the waiting arms of Jaycee Horn:
What’s next
The Panthers (3-7) will take to the streets in Week 11 to face the Ravens (6-3), who are bye after routing the Saints in prime time. The Falcons (4-6), meanwhile, return home to host the Bears (3-6) who play the Lions this weekend.