Atlanta Falcons' Ryan Nielsen Details Different Carolina Panthers Offense

Since the Atlanta Falcons beat them in Week 1, the Carolina Panthers have made changes to their approach offensively.

The Atlanta Falcons were stopped short of having their first three-game winning streak for the first time since 2019, as they fell 29-25 in Sunday's clash with NFC South rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, the Falcons can start a new winning streak with a victory against fellow NFC South opponent, the Carolina Panthers, who currently sit bottom of the league standings at 1-12.

The Panthers' lone win of the season so far came in their Week 7 game with the Houston Texans, where they managed to pull out a 15-13 victory thanks to a game-winning Eddy Pineiro field goal. That aside, though, the Panthers haven't given their fans much to be optimistic about despite having made a blockbuster trade in the offseason to acquire the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, which turned into former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. 

While the Falcons are undoubtedly familiar with the Panthers, having claimed a win in their Week 1 matchup, things have changed. First off, Carolina will not have coach Frank Reich calling the shots anymore, as he was fired following the Panther's 17-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans. This means for a Falcons defense that has been much improved this season, they'll see a slightly different Panthers' offense.

"They’re running the ball really well. The offensive line is playing together as a group really well. Those two backs, Hubbard and Sanders, man, they’re running well, ..." Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen said of the changes in the Panthers' offense. "They’re going to try to run as much as they possibly can. That’s probably the biggest change is they’ve stayed with it. They have consistently run it, and in the run game, they’re playing really well right now.”

Sep 10, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) runs the ball against the Atlanta Falcons in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Panthers average 104.3 yards per game, as both Hubbard and Sanders have combined for 1,043 yards and five touchdowns this season. However, it isn't just the running back duo that the Falcons defense has to account for. Young, the rookie quarterback, ranks third in rushing with 201 yards and two touchdowns on 28 attempts.  

“He’s elusive back there. The last couple of games, you’re watching him, and he’s extending drives on third-and-six, third-and-seven," Nielsen said of Young. "He’s getting the first down, keeping them on the field, moving around more than the first game when we saw him. Probably those two things are the biggest changes of the offense that we’ve seen.”

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Getting off the field on third-down has been something the Falcons have excelled at. According to TeamRankings, the Falcons' defense boasts a third-down conversion rate of 33.53 percent, which ranks third best in the league. Compared to the Panthers' offensive third-down conversion rate of 36.22 percent, it seems like the Falcons have the edge in the matchup of the two units. 

The Falcons will look to repeat their season-opening success on Sunday as they travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, to face the Panthers. Kickoff inside Bank of America Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.