Analyzing Thursday Night Football and Score Prediction: Panthers vs Falcons

Week eight kicks off this with a NFC South showdown between the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons. Each team is coming off of close losses last week and will look to bounce back. Here are some keys to tonight's game and what to expect in this matchup.

Will the Falcons be able to stop wide receivers D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson?

The Falcons are going to have their hands full with the Panthers passing attack and that starts with the Panthers' dynamic duo. Anderson and Moore are each in the top ten in receiving yards this season with Anderson at two and Moore at seven. This success could continue for this duo as the Falcons are the 2nd worst passing defense in the NFL, with the Seattle Seahawks being the only team that comes in worse in this area. The Falcons defense has also given up the most touchdown passes this season. Look for Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who is fifth in the NFL in passing yards, to attack that secondary early and often.

On contrary, how will the Panthers be able to stop wide receivers Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley

Like the Panthers, The Falcons have a dynamic duo at receiver as well with Jones and Ridley. Jones has been dealing with injuries most of the season but this may be the healthiest he has been. With Jones dealing with injuries , Ridley has had to step up his play and he has done just that. He is third in the NFL in receiving yards this season. It may be a challenge for this offense as Carolina has the 10th best passing defense in the league. Atlanta will need to establish the run game to set up play action so their star receivers can get one-on-one matchups.

Which quarterback has the edge in this game?

Matt Ryan and Teddy Bridgewater highlight a quarterback matchup that has the potential for a lot of fireworks. Ryan leads the league in passing yards. Each of them played well last week despite both of them losing their games. Ryan was 31 for 42 for 338 yards and one touchdown. Bridgewater was 23 for 28 for 254 yards and two touchdowns. I expect both of them to show up tonight and play well but I have to give the edge to Bridgewater because he will be playing against a much weaker defense than Ryan.

Lastly, who wins the game?

I expect this to be a high scoring back and forth game. The Falcons have not been a good fourth quarter team this season, and I think that will continue tonight. Bridgewater will make enough plays in the fourth quarter to pull away and win this game. I also expect the defense of the Panthers to make a few plays a late as well. Panthers will win this game 34-26. The game is tonight at 8:20 P.M. eastern time on Fox.