Mohamed Bughrara
Falcons (4-4) at Panthers (2-7), Thursday 8:15 p.m.:
In the first meeting, the Falcons’ secondary struggled against the Panthers’ wideouts and running attack. The home run strategy should perform more effectively than it did in Atlanta, stopping the rush and getting a boost from a determined P.J. Walker, who resumed the starting quarterback role. Marcus Mariota will continue to ride Atlanta’s tidal wave in order to keep the team below .500.