FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the place to be on Sunday in Atlanta.
The Carolina Panthers are making the trip down I-85 to renew this NFC South rivalry for the 2026 season, and the Falcons will debut their new red home jerseys for the first time in a regular-season game. Both squads are seeking their first win of the season after dropping their season openers. The shapes of those respective games weren't similar in the slightest, making this a compelling matchup stylistically.
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Atlanta's defense picked up right where it left off last season and put the clamps down on the Steelers' offense, allowing just 13 points to that group on Sunday (a pick-six helped Pittsburgh reach its 20-point total in the win). The Panthers, meanwhile, were in a shootout with the Chicago Bears, matching them 31-31 in the third quarter before their opponents pulled away in the fourth quarter. Those two sides of the ball will be compelling to watch, especially after Carolina quarterback Bryce Young threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns against Chicago.
"He's efficient," Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said of Young. "He sees the field really well. He's accurate. His timing is impeccable. So there's that part of his game. Then there's this other part of his game, the dropback, the play-pass game, where he's starting to build this inventory of understanding coverages, and the soft spots, and the weak spots. He's putting the ball where it needs to go, creating more explosives. That's starting to complement what he already had, the kind of the point guard there. He's going to test us in every way, from a coverage perspective. And obviously, as we all know, he's one of those rare guys that's better off the spot than on the spot. It's a guy that we've got to keep him where he's not very comfortable, and that's going to be a huge part of [our] what it takes, our keys to victory this week."
Here's a look at who the experts predict to win on Sunday between the Falcons and Panthers.
NFL Expert Picks for Panthers vs. Falcons
| Author | Outlet | Falcons or Panthers? |
|---|---|
| Jeremy Fowler | ESPN | Panthers |
| Dan Graziano | ESPN | Panthers |
| Pamela Maldonado | ESPN | Panthers |
| Ben Solak | ESPN | Panthers |
| Lindsey Thiry | ESPN | Panthers |
| Jeremy Bergman | NFL.com | Panthers |
| Gennaro Filice | NFL.com | Falcons |
| Dan Parr | NFL.com | Panthers |
| Pete Prisco | CBS Sports | Falcons |
| John Breech | CBS Sports | Panthers |
| Albert Breer | Sports Illustrated | Panthers |
| Mike Kadlik | Sports Illustrated | Panthers |
| Conor Orr | Sports Illustrated | Panthers |
| John Pluym | Sports Illustrated | Falcons |
For more complete picks and analysis, visit: ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated and NFL.com.
