Atlanta (1-1) at Carolina (0-2)

Sunday, 1 p.m., EDT, FOX

BetMGM line: Falcons by 5 1/2.

Series record: Falcons lead 37-23.

Against the spread: Falcons 1-1; Panthers 1-1.

Last week: Falcons beat Vikings 22-6; Panthers lost to Cardinals 27-22.

Last meeting: Panthers beat Falcons 44-38 in OT on Jan. 5, 2025, in Atlanta.

Falcons offense: overall (10), rush (4), pass (t-20), scoring (t-21).

Falcons defense: overall (2), rush (2), pass (9), scoring (2).

Panthers offense: overall (t-22), rush (13), pass (27), scoring (29).

Panthers defense: overall (22), rush (11), pass (26), scoring (t-22).

Turnover differential: Falcons plus-3, Panthers minus-3.

Falcons player to watch

RB Bijan Robinson. Robinson had two huge games against the Panthers last season, rushing for a combined 265 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards. He hasn’t run for a score yet this season, but has 167 yards on 34 carries and also has nine receptions for 125 yards and a TD. He ran for 143 yards against the Vikings last week after being held to 24 yards in the season opener by Tampa Bay. The Panthers defense had allowed seven straight 200-yard games on the ground last before holding Arizona to 82 yards rushing last week.

Panthers player to watch

WR Tetairoa McMillan. The No. 8 overall pick in the draft continues to make an impact with 11 receptions for 168 yards in his first two games. Although he hasn’t reached the end zone yet, McMillan has clearly developed into Bryce Young’s top option. The big question moving forward is will McMillan see more double coverages with the team’s other starting wide receiver Xavier Legette being largely ineffective. Legette has four catches for 8 yards in two games and could be on the verge of losing his job to Brycen Tremayne.

Key matchup

Bryce Young vs. Falcons secondary. Which Young we will see on Sunday remains a mystery — the one that turned the ball over five times in six quarters to start the season or the one that threw three second-half TDs against the Cardinals, nearly rallying the Panthers from a 24-point deficit.

Key injuries

Falcons: Cornerback A.J. Terrell (hamstring) is listed as week to week with a hamstring injury and coach Raheem Morris said it will be an ongoing competition this week to determine who’ll take his spot if he is unable to play this Sunday.

Panthers: Two key offensive line starters, G Robert Hunt (biceps) and C Austin Corbett (knee), went on IR this week and are likely out for the remainder of the season. Chandler Zavala will step in to start at guard, while Cade Mays takes over at center. Both have starting experience for the Panthers but the injuries have depleted the Panthers of most of their depth. Losing Hunt, the team’s $100 million man, is a huge blow to the offensive line as he was a key cog in the running game.

Series notes

The Falcons have dominated this divisional series, wining 74% of the matchups. The Panthers have done a little better at home, where they are 14-16. Strangely enough the Interstate-85 rivals have never met in the playoffs.

Stats and stuff

In his first season with the Falcons, coach Raheem Morris finished with a 4-2 record against NFC South opponents. … Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. has thrown for 433 yards and one touchdown in two games. … TE Kyle Pitts has 11 catches for 96 yards through two games. … WR Drake London has 11 catches for 104 yards in two games but turned the ball over on a fumble last week. … The Falcons have five sacks. … Panthers QB Bryce Young is 6-24 as an NFL starter. … RB Chuba Hubbard ran for nearly 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns last season but has been slow out of the blocks this season, largely because the team has fallen behind in games early and been forced into catch-up mode. Hubbard has just 95 yards on 26 carries and no touchdowns on the ground. However, he already has a career-best two TD catches for 71 yards on eight receptions. … No. 8 overall pick Tetairoa McMillan leads the Panthers with 11 receptions for 168 yards, but is still looking for his first touchdown. … Hunter Renfrow had two TD catches last week against Arizona after sitting out last season with a case of ulcerative colitis. … WR Xavier Legette is expected to continue to start despite being held to 8 yards receiving on four catches this season.

Fantasy tip

Bryce Young had five combined touchdowns in Carolina’s overtime win over the Falcons in January in his best game as a professional.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl