Don’t let the score fool you. The Carolina Panthers lost by 22 points to the Chicago Bears in Week 1, but the underlying numbers tell a different story for the offense. While the defense gave up 59 points in that blowout, the offense actually posted the ninth-most EPA per play at 0.1 and the 11th-best success rate at 47.1%. That is a massive gap between the final score and how the team actually moved the ball.
Why The Falcons Struggle To Score
The matchup in Atlanta looks much better for Carolina than the Week 1 loss suggests. The Falcons are dealing with a major quarterback crisis that makes their offense look weak. With Tua Tagovailoa not practicing and Michael Penix Jr. recovering from a torn ACL, Cooper Rush is set to start again for Atlanta. According to PrizePicks, that Rush-led unit ranked 31st in EPA per play at -0.4 and 28th in success rate at 36.7% during their loss to Pittsburgh. The Falcons simply do not have the firepower to punish the Panthers the way the Bears did.
Uniform Choices And Historical Trends
The team is switching up the look for this Sunday trip. The Panthers will wear the traditional white-on-white jerseys with black socks for the quick travel to Atlanta. Per the Panthers’ Fit Check Friday, white jerseys with white pants is the most common combination in franchise history; the black socks are the variation (4-6 all-time). It is a familiar look for the fans, a contrast to last week’s blue jerseys, black pants, and alternate black helmets.
A Clear Path To Bounce Back
The data points to a quick rebound for this squad on the road. The offense showed signs of life against a tough defense in Chicago, and now they face a Falcons team that cannot find the end zone. The stats from rbsdm.com show Atlanta’s offense was nearly non-existent in their opener, while the Panthers found rhythm despite the loss. This game is not about what happened in the first quarter of last week; it is about who has the better quarterback and the better offensive line on Sunday. The Panthers have the numbers to win this spread if they fix the defensive lapses.
