The Falcons came into Charlotte on Thursday night looking to retake the NFC South lead. Instead, they left dampened and defeated, not only by the rainy remnants of Hurricane Nicole, but their rival Panthers. Neither side was particularly inspiring in such sloppy conditions, but whereas Arthur Smith’s offense failed until the waning minutes, with Marcus Mariota practically begging Desmond Ridder to replace him on every other downfield heave, Carolina actually showed spurts of life under interim coach Steve Wilks, riding a 100-yard night from D’Onta Foreman, plus a ferocious performance from their defensive line, to seal a 25-15 victory.
The Panthers improve to 3-7 with the win, and 2-3 since Wilks replaced Matt Rhule on the sidelines. P.J. Walker reprised his starting role under center for the victory, though he stayed in the background as Carolina leaned on the run. Mariota, meanwhile, inexplicably aired it out more than usual for Atlanta, taking a number of ill-advised deep shots as the Falcons fell to 4-6, behind the Buccaneers in the South.
Stay tuned for additional takeaways from Thursday night’s divisional contest.