On the surface, the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are teams that seem to be heading in opposite directions.
With new head coach Matt Rhule on the sidelines, the Panthers are 3-4 but have played close in just about every game this season. On the flip side, Atlanta is 1-6, fired head coach Dan Quinn, and has lost three games by epic collapses in the fourth quarter.
And yet, when the two meet at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte for Thursday Night Football on FOX (kickoff at 8:20 p.m. EDT), they will be more evenly matched than the records would show. And being able to predict the big events of this game could help you win $25,000 in FOX’s Super 6 contest.
Just download the free app, answer six questions correctly and you could win up to $25,000 while watching football. It’s that simple. Here’s the questions and how to look at it?
How many total passing yards will Matt Ryan and Teddy Bridgewater have combined in the first half?
The choices are: Less than 230 yards, 230-240, 241-250, 251-260, 261-270 and 271+ yards.
Ryan is still one of the best passers in the game and he posted 338 passing yards in Sunday’s loss to Detroit. There’s still a lot of receiver talent around the Falcons quarterback which does help.
Bridgewater and the Panthers offense is a little more balanced as he threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday in a 27-24 loss at New Orleans. One number to keep in mind: the Falcons defense is allowing 8.7 yards per pass attempt right now – the worst in the NFL coming into Monday night. The Panthers’ 6.3 yards per pass attempt is the best in the league on defense.
How will the first TD of in the 2nd half be scored?
The answers are Falcons rushing, Falcons passing, Panthers rushing, Panthers passing, any other way (which includes special teams) and no touchdowns.
When these two teams met up three weeks ago- a 23-16 Carolina win in Atlanta- there were no touchdowns scored in the second half as the game turned into a field goal contest in the final 30 minutes. (There were four field goals.)
If there’s one choice to keep in mind, keep in mind that the short yardage situations for both will likely see very conservative approaches that involve the run games.
How many total sacks, interceptions and fumbles will there be in the game?
The choices range everywhere in between from 0-4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9+.
Back in Week 5, the teams combined for two turnovers and two sacks on the game. Both teams are middle of the pack when it comes to sacks- Bridgewater has been sacked 13 times while Ryan has been wrapped up 15. Ryan has only thrown three interceptions- tied for fifth in the NFL for fewest interceptions.
In other words, there’s not a lot of underlying trends on this one to play.
How different players will score a touchdown in the game?
The options are 0, 1-2, 3, 4, 5 or 6+. Here’s some different trends to keep in mind on this one. Atlanta doesn’t have a touchdown reception by a running back this year. Only two RBs- Todd Gurley and Brian Hill- have rushing scores.
The Falcons have no return touchdowns this season. Five different Panthers have receiving touchdowns while four have rushing scores. Carolina also has no return scores. In other words- the pool may be limited unless something changes.
How many total points will be scored in the game?
The choices are 40 or less, 41-45, 46-50, 51-55, 56-60, and 61+
Carolina’s offense hasn’t been the same without Christian McCaffery, but that doesn’t mean it is limited. The Panthers are still able to stretch the field with DJ Moore on the outside and could take advantage of a porous Atlanta defense.
Meanwhile, the Falcons lowest point total of the season was 16 points that they scored against both Green Bay and Carolina. So a game that end up in the high 40s would seem likely.
Choose team to win & by how many points
The Panthers- with an expanded playoff field- need this game to hang in the conversation for a wild card spot with the NFC South and NFC West seeming to dominate the conversation for that position. (The Bears/Packers runner up would also likely have a claim as well.)
After another crushing loss and in the final game before the trade deadline in the NFL, it is fair to wonder how the Falcons on a short week on the road respond.
Make sure to make your choice by playing the Fox Super 6 for Thursday’s game. It’s easy, it’s free and you could win $25,000 of Terry Bradshaw’s money.
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