The Carolina Panthers enter Week 5 of the 2020 season riding a two game win streak. After an impressive win against an explosive Arizona Cardinals team in Week 4, the Panthers enter as favorites against a struggling Atlanta Falcons team. While the Falcons have played stints of really good football, they struggle to close football games. However the Panthers have had their struggles with the Falcons, last win dating back to 2017. Last win in Atlanta goes all the way back to 2014. I expect the Panthers to come out on top against an injury riddled Falcons team.
Panthers 30, Falcons 20
Key Matchups
Panthers Receivers – Facing a beat up secondary in Atlanta, I expect the Panthers to throw for a ton of yards on Sunday. Robbie Anderson has been a revelation for the Panthers, consistently making plays via the air. However, I expect DJ Moore to have the game Panthers fans have been waiting for. While he has been solid, I expect Moore to have a huge impact in Sunday’s matchup.
Players To Watch
Donte Jackson – Jackson has had his struggles against Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley. I’m eager to see how Jackson approaches this matchup. Usually boasting a chip on his shoulder I would bet Jackson knows the struggles he’s had in this matchup, particularly against Ridley. Dating back to his college career at LSU, Jackson has faced Ridley without a victory. A win on Sunday can go a long ways towards Jackson taking that next step up as a corner in this league.
Derrick Brown – Brown has been nothing short of spectacular during this win streak by being disruptive and violent. He has been everything the Panthers coaches/front office wanted when they picked Brown 7th overall in the 1st round. Consistency is what I’ll be looking out for on Sunday. If Brown can be a disruptive force on a weekly basis, he will only make everyone else on this young defense better. Putting it all together to become a consistent menace for opposing offensive lines could put Brown in the discussion for best interior defensive lineman in the division.
