Week 1 Game Preview: Panthers at Falcons

Jaycee Horn

CHARLOTTE – The Panthers start up the season with a divisional matchup against the Falcons.

Carolina plays Atlanta at 1 p.m. Sunday in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Scroll below for more information on the game, series history, and stats comparison.

Game Reset

History: Panthers vs. Falcons

  • Carolina and Atlanta have played 56 times. Atlanta leads the series 35-21. | Series history
  • The Panthers won their last matchup with the Falcons, 25-15, at Bank of America Stadium in November.
  • The Falcons hold a 20-8 overall record at home against the Panthers.

2022 Statistical Comparison

Table inside Article
CategoryCarolinaAtlanta Falcons
Offense
Total Yards Per Game306.2 (29th)318.6 (24th)
Rushing Yards Per Game130.0 (10th)159.9 (3rd)
Rushing Yards Per Attempt4.6 (14th)4.9 (4th)
Passing Net Yards Per Game176.2 (29th)158.8 (31st)
Sacks Allowed36 (11th)37 (12th)
Third Down Efficiency31.7 (30th)41.8 (10th)
Points Per Game20.41 (20th)21.47 (t-15th)
Defense
Total Yards Allowed Per Game350.2 (22nd)362.1 (27th)
Rushing Yards Per Game122.6 (18th)130.2 (23rd)
Rushing Yards Per Attempt4.3 (12th)4.4 (18th)
Passing Net Yards Per Game227.5 (22nd)231.9 (25th)
Sacks35 (t-25th)21 (31st)
Takeaways17 (t-27th)17 (t-27th)
Third Down Efficiency41.1 (23rd)45.9 (31st)
Points Allowed Per Game22.00 (19th)22.71 (23rd)

Matchup notes

  • The Panthers kick off the 2023 regular season traveling down I-85 to take on an NFC South divisional foe, the Atlanta Falcons. The Panthers will begin their campaign on the road for the first time since 2017 after five consecutive Week 1 home games.
  • This will mark the 57th meeting between the two teams and just the fifth time they have kicked off the season against each other (first since 2006). The Panthers have faced only one other team more times in franchise history – the New Orleans Saints (57 matchups). This will be the ninth time Carolina has kicked off the season with a divisional opponent (first since 2014).
  • Head coach Frank Reich's tenure as head coach begins in a familiar place, as he started as the opening day quarterback in the Panthers' inaugural season in 1995 against the Atlanta Falcons.
  • The Falcons are led by third-year head coach Arthur Smith. Atlanta finished the 2022 season with a 7-10 record and in fourth place of the NFC South.

Carolina is 21-35 all-time against Atlanta dating all the way back to 1995.