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Wk 2 · 2026

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons — Sun, Sep 20

Sun, Sep 20 · Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA · Fox FINAL

Weather

This one is played indoors. There is nothing to forecast.
Carolina Panthers
NFC South · 2-2
34
at
1:00pET
CAR -2.5 · total 43.5 DraftKings opened -1.5 · 4 toward CAR
Ratings differential ATL by 1.7
Atlanta Falcons
NFC South · 2-3
3

What is at stake

An NFC South game. These two play each other twice a season, home and away, and when the NFC South finishes level it is the head-to-head result and then the division record that separate them — before any of the rest. Division standings.

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The Gridiron King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 1.7 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two rosters that have been through a draft and a free-agency window since.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Panthers: -0.3#16
Efficiency margin
Falcons: -0.4#17
Panthers: +0.8#14
Offense
Falcons: -0.2#15
Panthers: -1.2#22
Defense
Falcons: -0.2#17
Panthers: 18.3
Points / game
Falcons: 20.8
Panthers: 22.4
Points allowed / game
Falcons: 23.6
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The Gridiron King’s 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats

The box-score store these rows are built from has not been produced for this league yet, so no preview carries points and yards for and against. The form, trend and series blocks below are built from this site’s own files and are not affected.

Panthers form

W 32-26vs DETL 18-21at CLEW 34-3at ATLL 37-59vs CHI
2026 season

Falcons form

L 23-30vs BALW 45-24at NOW 35-14at GBL 3-34vs CARL 13-20at PIT
2026 season

Panthers this season

Straight up2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Against the spread2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Over / under2-2 · 50% (4 games)

Falcons this season

Straight up2-3 · 40% (5 games)
Against the spread2-3 · 40% (5 games)
Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 10

OpponentPanthersFalcons
Bears
NFC
vs L 37-59 previewvs Wk 6 · scheduled preview
Browns
AFC
at L 18-21 previewat Wk 14 · scheduled preview
Lions
NFC
vs W 32-26 previewvs Wk 13 · scheduled preview
Buccaneers
NFC
vs Wk 7 · scheduled previewat Wk 8 · scheduled preview
Packers
NFC
at Wk 8 · scheduled previewat W 35-14 preview
Saints
NFC
at Wk 10 · scheduled previewat W 45-24 preview
Ravens
AFC
vs Wk 11 · scheduled previewvs L 23-30 preview
Vikings
NFC
at Wk 13 · scheduled previewat Wk 12 · scheduled preview
Bengals
AFC
vs Wk 15 · scheduled previewN Wk 9 · scheduled preview
Steelers
AFC
at Wk 16 · scheduled previewat L 13-20 preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Falcons leads 23–18 · Panthers has won the last 4
41 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 1.0 points toward Falcons
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20262026-09-20Panthers 34 — 3 Falconsat ATLPanthers
20252025-11-16Panthers 30 — 27 Falconsat ATLPanthers
20252025-09-21Falcons 0 — 30 Panthersat CARPanthers
20242025-01-05Panthers 44 — 38 Falconsat ATLPanthers
20242024-10-13Falcons 38 — 20 Panthersat CARFalcons
20232023-12-17Falcons 7 — 9 Panthersat CARPanthers
20232023-09-10Panthers 10 — 24 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20222022-11-10Falcons 15 — 25 Panthersat CARPanthers
20222022-10-30Panthers 34 — 37 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20212021-12-12Falcons 29 — 21 Panthersat CARFalcons
20212021-10-31Panthers 19 — 13 Falconsat ATLPanthers
20202020-10-29Falcons 25 — 17 Panthersat CARFalcons
20202020-10-11Panthers 23 — 16 Falconsat ATLPanthers
20192019-12-08Panthers 20 — 40 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20192019-11-17Falcons 29 — 3 Panthersat CARFalcons
20182018-12-23Falcons 24 — 10 Panthersat CARFalcons
20182018-09-16Panthers 24 — 31 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20172017-12-31Panthers 10 — 22 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20172017-11-05Falcons 17 — 20 Panthersat CARPanthers
20162016-12-24Falcons 33 — 16 Panthersat CARFalcons
20162016-10-02Panthers 33 — 48 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20152015-12-27Panthers 13 — 20 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20152015-12-13Falcons 0 — 38 Panthersat CARPanthers
20142014-12-28Panthers 34 — 3 Falconsat ATLPanthers
20142014-11-16Falcons 19 — 17 Panthersat CARFalcons
20132013-12-29Panthers 21 — 20 Falconsat ATLPanthers
20132013-11-03Falcons 10 — 34 Panthersat CARPanthers
20122012-12-09Falcons 20 — 30 Panthersat CARPanthers
20122012-09-30Panthers 28 — 30 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20112011-12-11Falcons 31 — 23 Panthersat CARFalcons
20112011-10-16Panthers 17 — 31 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20102011-01-02Panthers 10 — 31 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20102010-12-12Falcons 31 — 10 Panthersat CARFalcons
20092009-11-15Falcons 19 — 28 Panthersat CARPanthers
20092009-09-20Panthers 20 — 28 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20082008-11-23Panthers 28 — 45 Falconsat ATLFalcons
20082008-09-28Falcons 9 — 24 Panthersat CARPanthers
20072007-11-11Falcons 20 — 13 Panthersat CARFalcons
20072007-09-23Panthers 27 — 20 Falconsat ATLPanthers
20062006-12-24Panthers 10 — 3 Falconsat ATLPanthers
20062006-09-10Falcons 20 — 6 Panthersat CARFalcons

Panthers leaders 2026 regular season

PassingBryce Young QB #9101/162, 1268 YDS, 9 TD, 2 INT
Kenny Pickett QB #120/1, 0 YDS
RushingChuba Hubbard RB #3061 CAR, 306 YDS, 3 TD
AJ Dillon RB #2817 CAR, 43 YDS
Jonathon Brooks RB #259 CAR, 30 YDS
ReceivingTetairoa McMillan WR #426 REC, 385 YDS, 2 TD
Jalen Coker WR #1818 REC, 222 YDS, 2 TD
Darren Waller TE #8813 REC, 148 YDS, 2 TD
Brycen Tremayne WR #876 REC, 115 YDS
Defense
TacklesDevin Lloyd LB #5531
Bobby Okereke LB #5826
Akayleb Evans CB #2920
SacksPrincely Umanmielen LB #33
Jaelan Phillips LB #52
Trevis Gipson LB #521
InterceptionsDevin Lloyd LB #552
Bobby Okereke LB #581
full roster and per-player history

Falcons leaders 2026 regular season

PassingMichael Penix Jr. QB #933/45, 479 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT
Cooper Rush QB #1322/39, 229 YDS, 1 TD, 4 INT
RushingBijan Robinson RB #785 CAR, 494 YDS, 4 TD
Brian Robinson Jr. RB #1544 CAR, 194 YDS, 4 TD
Cooper Rush QB #132 CAR, 20 YDS
ReceivingDrake London WR #520 REC, 370 YDS
Bijan Robinson RB #714 REC, 120 YDS, 1 TD
Jahan Dotson WR #46 REC, 95 YDS, 1 TD
Kyle Pitts Sr. TE #85 REC, 67 YDS
Defense
TacklesXavier Watts S #3124
C.J. Henderson CB #2623
Mike Hughes CB #2119
SacksZa'Darius Smith DE #912.5
Samson Ebukam DE #521.5
Cameron Thomas DE #991.5
InterceptionsXavier Watts S #311
full roster and per-player history
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since signed elsewhere, been traded or retired still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game.