The Panthers make their first visit to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for a season finale that will mean more to the Falcons, who can clinch a playoff berth by simply beating Carolina, than to the Panthers, who can only move up the NFC playoff ladder with a win over their I-95 rivals combined with a loss by the Saints in Tampa Bay. We’ll be treating this game as if the Panthers will be rolling out their starters for a full sixty minutes, but if the Saints are up 28-0 in the third quarter, expect to see some snaps for players like Cameron Artis-Payne and David Mayo in relief of their older counterparts.

However, after a lackluster display against the Buccaneers last week in their 22-19 win, Ron Rivera may be thinking that the Panthers need as many reps as they can get to be ready for the stiff competition they will be facing in the playoffs moving forward. As always, here is our five-part preview:

Five Players To Watch

#95 Charles Johnson, Defensive End

Could it be that four weeks off for a 31-year old defensive end coming off of preseason back surgery might be just what the doctor ordered for a guy who hasn’t had a sack all season? When he was suspended, many suspected that the playing time for rookie Bryan Cox, Jr was actually a good thing, and now the Panthers defensive line literally goes nine deep. Will Johnson have an impact in his first game back or has he been surpassed by Wes Horton as the third-best option on the edge?

#29 Mike Adams, Safety

Adams has tackled poorly the past few weeks, and it has affected the Panthers, who have given up 27 passes of 20+ yards in the past seven games (nine in the past two) after only allowing 19 in their first eight games. If Adams (along with Coleman and the rest of the secondary) can tackle the Falcons receivers at first contact, it should limit the big plays, but if Jones or Sanu is allowed to run free for yards after the catch, the defense will be in for a long day.

#11 Brenton Bersin, Wide Receiver

While many think Russell Shepard and Kaelin Clay are the most important wide receivers not named Funchess now that Damiere Byrd has been declared out for the rest of the season, I’m inclined to think that it’s Bersin, who Cam Newton has shown the most rapport with, that is set to make big plays in the passing game. By big plays, that may not mean sixty-yard touchdowns, but key third-down conversions will be just as important to relieve congestion and draw defenses away from Greg Olsen and Devin Funchess. The Panthers must establish a fourth receiving threat aside from McCaffrey, Olsen and Funchess.

#28 Jonathan Stewart, Running Back

Since his 60-yard touchdown against the Vikings three weeks ago, Stewart has had 33 carries for 89 yards; the usual increase in production we are used to seeing from Stewart has not come as of yet. If the Panthers hope to be successful on the ground, they need at least 3.5 yards per carry from Stewart. He’s currently averaging 3.4 thus far in 2017; add in the two fumbles he had in the first half of Carolina’s last matchup with the Falcons, and Stewart needs a good game to propel the Panthers running game forward into the playoffs.

#88 Greg Olsen, Tight End

If the Panthers expect to make a run at a Super Bowl ring, they’ll need a full month of great play from Greg Olsen, and it will start this week. Expect Mike Shula to try to get Olsen going early with some easy completions, as that was what sparked his only successful game thus far this season against the Packers.

Four Key Matchups

James Bradberry vs. Julio Jones

In the Week 9 Panthers victory over the Falcons, Julio Jones got behind the defense twice. Once he was overthrown by Matt Ryan; the other instance had him “doing the Julio” as he dropped a wide-open touchdown that would ultimately cost the Falcons the game. But that’s not to say Jones didn’t have an impact on the game; his six catches for 118 yards started on the first series and didn’t stop the entire game; expect Jones to see double digits worth of targets on Sunday. While Bradberry won’t be able to stop Julio from making catches entirely, he needs to keep the monstrous wide receiver away from game-changing plays by keeping Jones in front of him and making tackles at first contact.

Thomas Davis vs. Devonta Freeman

Freeman is two weeks removed from almost 200 total yards against the Buccaneers, and the Panthers have had issues with big plays in the run game, allowing rushes of over 20 yards in six of their last seven games. Davis will need to keep the Panthers in their gaps and ensure that the linebackers do not allow Freeman to leak out and have open field in front of him when he is the checkdown option. Davis gets the nod here over fellow linebackers Shaq Thompson and Luke Kuechly because he’s a former Georgia Bulldog and loves playing in the state he grew up in.

Panthers Offensive Line vs. Falcons Defensive Line

The strength of the Falcons’ defense lies in their front seven, particularly their rush defense, which hasn’t allowed opponents to break the century mark four of the past five weeks; the Panthers have gone over 100 net rushing yards in nine straight games. Not coincidentally, they’ve won seven of their last eight. If the Panthers offensive line can open up holes (as they did last time they faced the Falcons when the team rushed for 201 yards) for their running backs and Cam Newton, it will alleviate the need for the Panthers to press in the passing game. Speaking of the passing game, Newton will lead all the time he can get with a receiving corp that struggles to get separation; a clean pocket will go a long way towards a successful offensive attack for the Panthers.

Devin Funchess vs. Desmond Trufant

In the first matchup with the Falcons, just four days after the Panthers shockingly dealt Kelvin Benjamin to the Buffalo Bills, Funchess established himself as the #1 wide receiver, picking up five catches for 86 yards. However, in the past two games, Funchess has been quiet with only four catches for 30 yards. Can Trufant, who gives up five inches to Funchess, compete on jump balls along the sidelines? Can Funchess have a breakout game? If Funchess can’t fight his way through the best a defense has to offer to make an impact on the game, can he truly be considered a #1 option?

Three Reasons The Panthers Would Lose

They Turn The Ball Over

It’s the most cookie cutter analysis in the world, but it still applies. The Panthers are 7-0 when they win the turnover battle; in their four losses, they’ve turned the ball over ten times. In their eleven wins, they’ve given the ball away nine times. Don’t turn the ball over, don’t lose. It’s as simple as that.

They Miss Tackles

Again, it’s cookie cutter analysis, but when the Panthers keep the plays in front of them and tackle at the point of first contact, they are a near-impossible defense to move down the field against. Especially against shifty pass-catchers like Jones, Sanu, Freeman and Tevin Coleman, the Falcons would like nothing more than to shed the first tackler and try to make things happen in space.

They Get Conservative

With the Panthers already having a playoff berth clinched, there may be a thought to be complacent, especially if the game gets out of hand between Tampa Bay and New Orleans. While no one wants to think their favorite player could possibly take plays off, the Panthers are only human; if that giant circular scoreboard reads New Orleans 42, Tampa Bay 7, the Falcons may be getting into the playoffs with a victory over Derek Anderson, or worse, a Panthers team that is just going through the motions.

Two Statistics That Tell The Whole Story

Cam Stays Positive And Stays on Schedule

Cam made it very clear this week that he wanted to “make some new memories” in his first game in the brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium and as Cam goes, so go the Panthers. During their 7-1 stretch over the last eight games, Newton has only thrown three interceptions (two of them off the hands of Panthers pass catchers) and has only been sacked eleven times. When the Panthers stay ahead of the sticks and on schedule, they convert 58.6% of their third down attempts that are five yards or less. More than five yards to go on third down? 29.5% conversion rate.

Matt Ryan Can’t Go Deep

In 2016, Ryan and the Falcons rode the deep ball all the way to the Super Bowl; in particular, the deep right area of the field was kind to the dirty birds, as the 2016 MVP completed almost 65% of his passes to that zone for an average of 21.97 yards, best in the NFL. In 2017, those numbers have dropped precipitously, with Ryan only completing 36.36% of his attempts to the deep right area for an average of 8.94 yards per attempt. In fact, last season, Matt Ryan had a career-high 38 touchdown passes. This season? He has only 19, his fewest since he was a rookie in 2008.

One Bold Prediction

Julius Peppers Has One Sack. Mario Addison Has 1.5.

If this happens, Addison and Peppers would finish the season with a dozen sacks each. They’ve been fighting over the team lead all season, it’s only right that they finish the season tied at the top.

Josh Klein

Editor-In-Chief at The Riot Report

Josh Klein is Editor-In-Chief of The Riot Report. His favorite Panther of all time is Chad Cota and he once AIM chatted with Kevin Greene. Follow Josh on Twitter @joshkleinrules.