Written by Brian Pohl
Charlotte, NC- The Atlanta Falcons completed the season sweep of NFC South division rival Carolina Panthers with a 24-10 win at Bank of America Stadium.
Building off of last week’s 40-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Falcons turned in their second straight complete performance to come away with the win in Charlotte.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn on the win, “I appreciate the fight of this team and the love they have for one another. It shows by how hard they play for one another. I was glad to see our turnover margin improve, and I think our fight over the last few weeks has matched our focus.”
With 426-yards of total offense, the Falcons were led by veteran quarterback Matt Ryan who completed 15 of his 26 passes for 239-yards and three touchdown passes. The former MVP was able to connect on a few deep passes that helped Atlanta get out ahead in the second half, and they were able to cruise to the finish line.
Matt Ryan on the win, “It’s always important when you are in the division to play well. It’s a football team that knows us well and we know them well, and when you are in a game like this it comes down to making plays when you get your opportunities and that’s what we did with the first play of the second half.”
The leading receiver for Atlanta was rookie receiver Calvin Ridley who finished the game catching three passes for 90-yards. The first-round pick out of Alabama delivered the play of the game, taking the first play the second half 75-yards for a touchdown to give the Falcons a 17-10 lead. Ridley now has nine touchdowns on the season, a Falcons rookie record, and is proving to be a huge talent to pair with star receiver Julio Jones.
Calvin Ridley on his big play, “It feels pretty good. I just want to come out here and help my team win any way I can, but when I get those types of plays it feels pretty good.”
Along with Ridley, the Falcons got a big performance from veteran receiver Mohamed Sanu, who reeled in five catches for 81-yards, including a 44-yard touchdown catch, his longest of the season. The deep receiving core for Atlanta is really completed by Sanu and it was great to see him have a big game.
On defense, the Falcons were able to be the difference maker by creating four turnovers, including three interceptions. The Panthers were without star quarterback Cam Newton, instead looking to backup Taylor Heinicke to lead the offense. The undrafted quarterback out of Old Dominion had some success, completing 33 of 53 passes for 273, but his three interceptions cost any chances of the Panthers winning this game.
Cornerback Brian Poole delivered maybe the best performance of his career thus far, tallying seven total tackles, recovering a fumble, and coming up with a big interception in the 3rd quarter that led to the Falcons win. The third-year defensive back out of Florida has shown improvement throughout the season and could be a big part of this young Atlanta defense going forward.
This was a good win over a division rival for the Falcons to build on. 2018 has been a disappointing season for Atlanta and their fans, but a win like this can be used to end the season on the right note and look to rebound in 2019. The season isn’t over, however, and the Falcons have one final game next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Falcons and Bucs kick off at 1:00 p.m. from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
