This past Sunday, Dec 17, The Carolina Panthers faced off against a familiar divisional foe, the Atlanta Falcons. Both teams have had down seasons as they hold losing records. The Panthers currently have the worst record in the NFL with a lousy 2-12 record. With playoff hopes long gone, many Panther fans are looking for a glimpse of hope in the franchise’s future.
The 1 p.m. start time was joined with a dreary, rain-filled forecast that would last throughout the contest. With two below-average teams facing off, minimal playoff implications on the line, and a downpour forecast, only a few die-hard fans made the trip to Bank of America stadium. Multiple photos of thousands upon thousands of empty blue seats during the game surfaced.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Falcons struck first when Quarterback Desmond Ridder completed a short pass to Cordarrelle Patterson for the touchdown. Younghoe Koo added an extra point to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead. Right before halftime, Panthers kicker Eddie Pinero kicked a 34-yard field goal to make the score 7-3.
After halftime, another scoreless quarter followed. Just over a minute into the 4th quarter, Pinero nailed a 25-yard field goal to make the score 7-6. The game would go scoreless until the final drive when rookie quarterback Bryce Young was in charge of leading a game-winning drive. He led the Panthers’ offense inside the Falcons’ ten-yard line. The Panthers played the safe route as Young positioned the ball for Pinero’s third field goal attempt.
Pinero jogged onto the field to attempt the 23-yard game-winner. In the pouring rain, Pinero kicked the chip-shot attempt and split the uprights. Panthers’ players rejoiced on the field, with Pinero right in the middle of the celebration.
With the loss, Atlanta’s playoff chances now hover around 30 percent and they lost control of their destiny. The Panthers, on the other hand, were excited to get back in the win column and hope to build off of it for their week 16 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
