CHARLOTTE – Not that long ago, the Atlanta Falcons looked like a team capable of challenging the Carolina Panthers' perch atop the NFC South.
The Falcons, however, have now dropped five consecutive games and will arrive at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday as a team desperate for a victory to stay in the playoff hunt.
Does that mindset give them an advantage against a Panthers team that has already punched its playoff ticket?
"We're a desperate team too – desperate for a win each and every week," quarterback Cam Newton said. "We always try to just find a way to be 1-0 by the end of Sunday.