NFL Football
2025-01-05 - Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NFL Week 18
Sunday 5th January 2025 - Scheduled 1pm
6pm (British Time)
Preview
It always surprises to see Head Coaches mismanage the time at the end of games as often as they do and Raheem Morris admitted his failure to use one of two Time Outs left at the end of the Fourth Quarter in Week 17 might have proved costly for his team. The Atlanta Falcons (8-8) wasted too much time and ended up having to take a long Field Goal, which came up short, and ultimately were then beaten in Overtime by the Washington Commanders.
It is a devastating defeat that means the Falcons have lost control of their own destiny- if they had won in Week 17, Atlanta would have been one win away from securing the NFC South Division and earning the Number 4 Seed in the Playoff, but now they need to win and hope the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are upset when playing New Orleans at the same time.
Making the Playoffs is a long shot right now, but the Falcons will have to focus and make sure they do their end of the bargain by beating the Carolina Panthers (4-12) who have lost five of their last six games, including a 34 point blowout at the hands of the Buccaneers in Week 17.
Players like Chuba Hubbard have been shut down for the season and the Panthers are another team who will have a relatively high Draft Pick with big decisions to make.
Bryce Young looks to have done enough to earn another shot as the starting Quarter Back and he will be hoping that someone can step up and fill Hubbard's shoes more effectively than they did last week. The Quarter Back did not play badly against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Panthers were unable to establish the run and the one-dimensional Offensive plan was pretty easy for the Buccaneers to deal with.
At least this week the Panthers Offensive Line are facing an Atlanta team that have allowed plenty of yards to be picked up on the ground and that should be a huge boost for Young.
There is little doubt that Bryce Young will need that help considering the improved play of the Falcons Secondary in the second half of the season. The hope is that Carolina can establish the run and sustain drives with the Quarter Back asked to complete third and manageable spots on the field.
However, any time the Panthers are behind the chains it becomes much tougher for Bryce Young operating behind an Offensive Line that has not been nearly as effective in pass protection as they have in run blocking. In recent games, Atlanta have found a very positive pass rush and that could be key to stalling drives and giving the Offensive unit a chance to win this game for the home team.
Michael Penix Jr has had little starting time for the Atlanta Falcons, but has shown enough to have the fans believing that the page being turned from Kirk Cousins to the rookie came too late and ultimately has cost the Falcons a spot in the post-season. He began poorly last week on the road at Washington, but Penix Jr recovered really well and was not helped by his Head Coach in his bid to win both of the starts made for Atlanta.
He should be able to lean on Bijan Robinson and the Offensive Line in this one to make things all the more comfortable and the Falcons are expected to have the qualities needed to rip open some big gains on the ground. This is going to make life comfortable for the rookie Quarter Back and Michael Penix Jr is expected to have the time to find his playmakers down the field.
Both teams should have success moving the ball in this final regular season game, but Atlanta's balanced Offensive unit should have the edge.
Bryce Young has played well since being restored to the starting lineup, but this Falcons Secondary is playing with more confidence and the pass rush might just force a couple of good field positions for Michael Penix Jr and the rest of the Offensive unit. The Panthers showed in Week 17 that their desire to really compete might just have slackened a touch and Penix Jr can have a very strong game before the team begins scoreboard watching and hoping for an upset in Tampa Bay.
Prediction
Lay the points with the home favourite.
The Pick :
Atlanta Falcons 27-17 Carolina Panthers
