Atlanta
Falcons
0-2
32
FINAL
34
Carolina
Panthers
1-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 3 matchup, the Carolina Panthers narrowly defeated the Atlanta Falcons, securing a final score of 34-32. This victory was crucial for the Panthers as they sought to establish momentum early in the season, while the Falcons aimed to bounce back from a previous loss.
Michael Penix Jr. led the Falcons' offense with an impressive performance, throwing for 258 yards and connecting on two touchdown passes. Zachariah Branch was a standout receiver, racking up 159 yards through the air, showcasing his ability to stretch the field and make big plays. Meanwhile, Kewan Lacy powered the Panthers' ground game, accumulating 103 rushing yards to keep the chains moving.
Defensively, the Panthers made key stops when it mattered most, anchored by Devin Lloyd's seven total tackles and Derrick Brown's 1.5 sacks. The turning point came in the fourth quarter when Brown's pressure on Penix led to a critical turnover, allowing Carolina to regain possession and ultimately seal the victory. It was a testament to the Panthers' resilience and determination on both sides of the ball.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 29 | 15 | 52% | 258 | 2 | 0 | 105.2 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 33 | 20 | 61% | 205 | 1 | 0 | 88.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kewan Lacy | HB | 18 | 103 | 5.7 | 43 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 14 | 60 | 4.3 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 6 | 47 | 7.8 | 20 | 2 | 17 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 8 | 25 | 3.1 | — | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Hollywood Smothers | HB | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | — | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Ben Sinnott | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peter Clarke | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahan Dotson | WR | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 3 | 159 | 53.0 | 121 | 2 | 70 | 1 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 7 | 83 | 11.9 | 26 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 4 | 60 | 15.0 | 20 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Ben Sinnott | TE | 4 | 32 | 8.0 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| TJ Moore | WR | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Mitchell Evans | TE | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Xavier Legette | WR | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Peter Clarke | TE | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Kewan Lacy | HB | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 18 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Trey'Dez Green | TE | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Josh Whyle | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Lloyd | MIKE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | REDG | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tommy Dillard | MIKE | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lee Hunter | DT | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clark Phillips III | CB | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Bowman Jr | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chau Smith-Wade | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jelani McDonald | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Watts | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Dorlus | DT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevin Wallace | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendal Daniels | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rasul Douglas | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bralen Trice | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nic Scourton | LEDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Claudin Cherelus | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson Kuwatch | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bear Alexander | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Bailey | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 2 | 2 | 4 | 37 |
| Ben Sauls | K | 1 | 3 | 3 | 38 |

