How much bad luck can one team have? Carolina has lost three straight after leading with 5 minutes to go in all three games. A missed 24-yard field goal here, a tipped pass for a touchdown there, and the 3-0 Panthers drop to 3-3.
Because of recent (some might say fluke) losses, and the fact that they need to start their second-string quarterback, the Panthers are an underrated team.
Expect the Falcons to struggle against the league's second-best defense, leading the league in sacks. The Panther defense will keep this game close. Throw in the fact that road dogs coming off a loss tend to do well against divisional opponents (historically winning three out of four) and we have an upset-in-the-making.