The Carolina Panthers will travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to take on the Atlanta Falcons in their first divisional game of the season. Kickoff is set for Sunday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m. ET.
Carolina and Atlanta have played each other in 62 regular-season games all-time, with the Falcons holding a 37-25 advantage.
The Panthers have won three-straight games against the Falcons, dating back to Week 18 of the 2024 season, which is tied for the longest win streak against Atlanta in series history (three consecutive wins from 2012-13). A win on Sunday would mark three-straight road victories over the Falcons, which would tie Carolina’s longest win streak as the away team in series history. The team previously won three consecutive games in Atlanta from 2006-07.
In Week 11 of the 2025 season, Carolina beat Atlanta on the road in overtime, 30-27, to complete the two-game season sweep for the third time in series history (2013 and 1997). QB Bryce Young completed 31 of 45 passes for a franchise-record 448 yards and a career-high-tying three touchdowns, while WR Tetairoa McMillan set career highs in catches (eight), receiving yards (130) and receiving touchdowns (two). K Ryan Fitzgerald connected on the 28-yard game-winning field goal in overtime, set up by a 54-yard reception by TE Tommy Tremble, the longest play in overtime in franchise history.
Young boasts a 4-1 record against the Falcons, completing 110 of 165 pass attempts (66.7%) for 1,133 yards and seven touchdowns. Three of his 12 career game-winning drives have come against Atlanta.
The Matchup
About Carolina
- In Week 1, the Panthers offense set season-opener franchise records in points scored (37), total net yards (478), yards per play (7.7) and yards per rush (5.7), while finishing with the second-best yards per attempt (9.3).
- In Week 1 vs. Chicago, the Panthers offensive line allowed just a 27.9% pressure rate despite dropping back to throw 43 times (third most). No Panther offensive lineman allowed a pressure rate higher than 9.5%, which was one of five teams (Bills, Texans, Chargers and Vikings) that had all five offensive linemen allow pressure on fewer than 10% of their pass block snaps.
- Since 2025, under Head Coach Dave Canales and Offensive Coordinator Brad Idzik, the Panthers offense has scored on 11 of their opening drives, tied for the third most in the league. They’ve totaled seven touchdowns (tied for the second most) and four field goals.
- QB Bryce Young passed for 361 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for a score, marking the second-most single-game passing yards in his career and his second-career game with three touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown.
- WR Jalen Coker set regular-season career highs in catches (eight), receiving yards (138) and touchdowns (two), marking the second 100-yard regular-season receiving game of his career. He became the first Panther with at least 135 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a game since Steve Smith in Week 1 of the 2011 season.
- RB Chuba Hubbard totaled 87 scrimmage yards (49 rushing, 38 receiving) and two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving), marking his fourth-career game with multiple touchdowns and the first time in his career where he scored both a rushing and receiving touchdown.
- In Week 1 vs. Chicago, OLB Jaelan Phillips recorded his first sack as a Panther, bringing down QB Caleb Williams for a loss of six yards.
- In Week 1 vs. Chicago, LB Devin Lloyd posted a game-best 13 tackles, marking the most tackles in a Panther debut in team history. His 13 stops also tied for the third-most tackles in a season opener in team history.
About Atlanta
- In Week 1, the Falcons allowed 226 total yards of offense, marking the fewest in a Week 1 game by the club since the legendary Grits Blitz defense in the 1977 season opener.
- RB Bijan Robinson finished Week 1 with 83 yards on 21 carries, now totaling 3,993 career rushing yards. Robinson also led all runnning backs in receiving yards with 90 on eight catches. Against Carolina, he has totaled 508 rushing yards on 96 attempts and six touchdowns along with 21 catches for 121 yards and one TD.
- In 10 career games (nine starts) vs. Carolina, TE Kyle Pitts. Has totaled 401 yards on 30 receptions (13.4 avg.) and one touchdown. He has totaled 20 first downs in those 10 games and 169 yards after the catch (5.6 avg.).
- In his Falcons debut against the Steelers, S Sydney Brown recorded a team-high-tying seven tackles (four solo) in his debut with the Falcons.
- CB Mike Hughes logged two passes defensed and three solo tackles. He also recorded a forced fumble, the eighth of his career and first with the Falcons in the season opener at Pittsburgh.
- WR Drake London totaled nine receptions for 117 yards in the last meeting vs. Carolina in Week 11 of 2025. It marked his fifth 100-yard receiving game of 2025 and 10th of his career. London has logged five or more receptions in each of his last four games against the Panthers.
- T Jake Matthews has started a franchise record 197 consecutive regular-season games at left tackle for Atlanta, the longest active streak in the NFL.
How to Watch
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET FOX: Play-by-Play: Tim Brando; Analyst: Matt Millen; Sideline: Sarah Kustok
Radio: WRFX 99.7FM in Charlotte market –Play-by-Play: Anish Shroff; Analysts: Luke Kuechly & Jake Delhomme; Host: Jim Szoke; Sideline: Sharon Thorsland
Per Release