Falcons vs. Panthers Notebook: 3 Observations from Atlanta's Week 10 Loss
Too little, too late for the Atlanta Falcons.
In its second match-up against the Carolina Panthers in 11 days, the Falcons offense could not complete a late game comeback in this NFC South rivalry.
Trailing 13-3 at halftime, Atlanta had a chance to tie the game late, but ultimately fell 25-15 on the road.
Here are three takeaways from Atlanta's Week 10 loss.
Offensive Struggles All Night
It's tough to win any game where you produce just 96 yards of total offense in a half.
And that's exactly what happened against the Panthers.
A first half consisting of three straight punts, an interception and just three points summed up a stagnant offensive attack all night long.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota completed 19 of 30 passes for two touchdowns and the interception, but was sacked five times - including two on Atlanta's potential game-tying drive.
The second ranked rushing attack in the NFL coming into the game, Atlanta mustered just 138 yards on the ground against Carolina's defense, with Mariota leading the way with 43 yards.
In comparison to the two teams Week 8 thriller where Atlanta produced over 400 yards, it was day and night this time around with Carolina allowing just 291 of total offense.
KhaDarel Hodge First Career Touchdown
The lone glimmer of hope came when Mariota stepped back to pass with less than 3:00 to go in the fourth quarter.
Down 22-9 at this point, wideout KhaDarel Hodge found himself wide open near the sideline for his first career receiving touchdown to make it a one score game.
After bouncing around multiple teams in his first four career season, Hodge signed with Atlanta in March of this year.
The 27-year-old caught nine passes heading into this game, but had yet to make it into the end zone before tonight.
Falcons Can't Pull Away in NFC South Race
With an opportunity to pull away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South with a victory, the Falcons failed to get the job done - making things interesting in the division and playoff race.
With the loss, the Falcons are now 4-6, which could keep them in a tie for first place should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks in Munich.
However a win from the Buccaneers gives them sole possession of first play in the division - and an instant playoff berth.
In pursuit of its first playoff appearance since 2017 and first NFC South championship since 2016, Atlanta would certainly love to end those with a strong second half of the season.
The Falcons are back in action next Sunday at home against the Chicago Bears.
You can follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard
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