Falcons hold off Panthers to avoid a series season sweep
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Matt Ryan threw for 281 yards and ran for a touchdown, Younghoe Koo made four field goals and the Atlanta Falcons held off the Carolina Panthers 25-17 on Thursday night to avoid a series season sweep.
The Falcons (2-6) have had a penchant for squandering leads this season, coming into the game 1-3 when leading entering the fourth quarter. Carolina was driving late, but Atlanta stalled the rally when Blidi Wreh-Wilson intercepted Teddy Bridgewater’s pass near the Falcons’ 10-yard line with 1:04 remaining.
Todd Gurley grinded out 46 yards rushing and a touchdown, Julio Jones added 137 yards receiving and the Falcons’ defense limited the Panthers to 2-for-10 on third-down conversions to improve to 2-1 since Raheem Morris replaced Dan Quinn as head coach. The win came before a crowd of 5,240 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bridgewater tried to spur Carolina to a comeback after Koo missed an extra-point try that would have made it a two-possession game.
Bridgewater, who was out of the game for two possessions with a neck injury following a late hit that resulted in Charles Harris’ ejection, took possession with the Panthers down by eight. He completed a 35-yard strike to D.J. Moore on 3rd-and-18 to move the Panthers into Atlanta territory. But Bridgewater’s pass was picked off by Wreh-Wilson when he threw the ball in traffic near the end zone.
Bridgewater was limited to 176 yards passing as the Panthers (3-5) lost their third straight game without injured running back Christian McCaffrey.
The Falcons had lost 23-16 to Carolina 18 days earlier when Bridgewater threw for 313 yards and two scores and Mike Davis piled up 149 yards rushing. Davis was held to 77 yards this time on a wet field where players routinely swapped cleats to adapt to changing conditions.
Despite a number of...