By David Rogers. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A four-headed offensive monster attacked Carolina on Oct. 13, with veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in the driver’s seat. The Atlanta Falcons swept past the Panthers, 38-20.
Bijan Robinson rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns, while teammate Tyler Allgeier added 105 yards running and a TD of his own. The tandem with a 1-2 punch accounted for all of the Falcons’ net yards rushing.
Meanwhile, Cousins completed 19 of 30 passes for 225 yards and a TD. Well over half of his aerial production saw wide receiver Drake London (6 catches, 74 yards, 1 TD) and tight end Kyle Pitts (3 catches, 70 yards) on the receiving end.
There were bright spots for Carolina, including a game-opening drive that kept Atlanta’s offense off the field for 6:33 in 12 plays, covering 67 yards, and ending with a touchdown to take an early lead. The score came with QB Andy Dalton finding veteran wide receiver Diontae Johnson for a 10-yard completion in the end zone.
With Dalton holding the reins of the Carolina offense, the Panthers continue to show promise. Nicknamed the “Red Rifle” for his earlier high school (Katy, Texas), college (TCU) and nine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Dalton completed 26 of 38 passes for 221 yards and two TDs, but also hurled two pass interceptions that short-circuited promising scoring opportunities.
Panther running back Chuba Hubbard continues to show why the Panthers drafted him in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma State, carrying the ball 18 times for 92 yards against the Falcons. Since Dalton became the QB starter in Week 3 at Las Vegas, this marks the fourth consecutive game that Hubbard has been over or just under the 100-yard mark, rushing.
Also with Dalton pulling the trigger, Johnson is also living up to Panther Nation’s expectations when the club signed him in free agency after five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Against the Falcons, he pulled in six passes for 78 yards, including one TD, building on the momentum he started building in Week 3 with Dalton (122 receiving yards and a TD at the Raiders) and Week 4 (83 yards and a TD vs. the Cincinnati Bengals).
Carolina kept the game close through the first half, going into intermission with just a 22-17 deficit. But three Atlanta scoring drives at the end of the third quarter and through the final stanza without a response from the Panthers proved to be too much to overcome. The loss to their NFC South Division rivals drops the Queen City side to 1-5 on the season so far while, at 4-2, Atlanta remains atop the NFC South tied with Tampa Bay, a 51-27 winner in New Orleans in Week 6.
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