The Falcons will need a break after their first seven games of the season, whether they’re a surprising contender or a smoldering wreck after that stretch is over. They won’t get a bye week, but they will get the Panthers, which is almost as good.
That may seem a bit cruel or might carry a tinge of swagger you don’t feel is justified, given the quality of this Falcons roster, but the reality is that Atlanta has been beating up on the Panthers for a long time now. From 2000 to the present day, they’re 29-15 against their “rivals,” with a 2-2 split in the 2020s caused by this team’s recent ineptitude.