All four NFC South teams opened the 2026 season with a loss, which puts the Carolina Panthers in the same spot as the division’s other three clubs heading into Week 2.
That means Sunday’s trip to the Atlanta Falcons carries real weight for both sides. An 0-2 start isn’t automatically fatal, but it usually puts a playoff push on life support, even if Carolina managed to survive that kind of hole last year.
On paper, the Panthers have the cleaner look right now, especially with Atlanta’s quarterback situation in rough shape. Still, at least one NFL analyst thinks the Falcons can steal it.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports is calling for Atlanta to win by four. He wrote:
The Panthers were mauled on defense last week by the Bears. This Falcons offense isn't close to that.
But I think they will just hand it to Bijan Robinson to keep the Panthers off the field. Falcons win it behind Robinson's big day.
Pick: Falcons 21, Panthers 17
There’s some reasoning behind that call. Carolina’s defense was shredded by Chicago in the opener, giving up a franchise-record 59 points. Atlanta, meanwhile, turned in a much better defensive showing, finishing with the second-best EPA in the league in Week 1 against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Even so, the quarterback edge still points heavily toward Carolina. That’s a hard gap to ignore.
In Week 1, Atlanta started career backup Cooper Rush, who was dealing with back spasms and apparently still is. Tua Tagovailoa is out with an oblique injury, and Michael Penix Jr. is not yet ready to return after an ACL tear in November, the third of his career.
Right now, the only healthy quarterback on Atlanta’s roster is undrafted rookie Jack Strand, who impressed during the preseason. But the current plan appears to be another start for Rush, even after he threw two interceptions and finished with a 2.6 QBR against Pittsburgh.
Place your bets accordingly.
In Other News...
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Bryce Youngs strong start to the 2026 season has given the Panthers a much-needed lift, but it has not fully settled the biggest question hanging over his future in Carolina. The early results have been encouraging enough to keep the conversation moving in a positive direction, yet the long view still matters for a team that has spent plenty of time searching for stability behind center.
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Panthers Found Early Hope With Bryce Young But Week 2 Gets Tougher
Bryce Young and the Panthers left Week 1 with something they badly needed: evidence that the offense can be sharper where it matters most. Against the Bears, Carolina turned all four of its red-zone trips into touchdowns or field goals, a major step up from last seasons struggles, and it did so by leaning into a more aggressive passing approach instead of defaulting to safe runs near the goal line.
The challenge now is carrying that formula into a much tougher divisional test against the Falcons. Carolinas red-zone execution was built on spreading the ball around and trusting Young to make quicker, more decisive throws, and theres a real case for sticking with it. The question is whether that same rhythm can hold up when the opponent is better prepared and the windows get tighter. [Read more 🡒]
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Youngs showing was enough to remind fans why the franchise still has a chance to point itself in the right direction, but the trust is clearly not all the way back. Fan confidence in the teams direction has slipped a bit, and a sizable chunk of the fan base still views Young and offensive coordinator Brad Idziks work as only average or worse, which leaves Carolina with hope, concern and plenty to prove in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]