CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kirk Cousins has the Atlanta Falcons on the rise.
The Falcons (3-2) will look to make it three wins in three weeks against NFC South foes on Sunday when they visit the struggling, injury-riddled Carolina Panthers.
Atlanta is coming off tight victories against the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers behind Cousins, who has settled in nicely after a slow start to the season.
The former Minnesota Vikings quarterback threw for a franchise-record 509 yards and four TDs in a 36-30 win over the Bucs last week that moved the Falcons into a tie for first place in the division. This week he’ll face a Panthers defense that has surrendered a league-high 33 points per game and 20 touchdowns.
Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said the 2-0 start in the division has his team feeling confident.
“I’m not shy about saying that,” Jarrett said. “I’m excited to be in the position that we are going forward, being in the driver’s seat. But I’m also even more excited because … we continue to get better every week. And that’s the sweet part about it.”
The Panthers (1-4) are a mess following a 36-10 loss to the Chicago Bears — their third time getting blown out this season.
Coming off an NFL-worst 2-15 record last season, Carolina wasn't a particularly deep team to begin with and now has lost defensive end Derrick Brown, linebacker Shaq Thompson and center Austin Corbett to season-ending injuries. Also, receiver Adam Thielen is on injured reserve and tight end Tommy Tremble is in the concussion protocol.
Even Taylor Moton, a mainstay at right tackle who has played in 120 straight games since being drafted by the Panthers, will miss his first game Sunday with a triceps injury.
First-year coach Dave Canales is trying to keep his players' hopes up and avoid a doom-and-gloom mentality for a team that hasn't been to the postseason since 2017.
Running back Chuba Hubbard said Canales' upbeat personality has helped.
“Honestly, I have probably never met somebody so positive in my life," Hubbard said. “He has a great outlook on the big picture. Even when when things aren't going your way he reminds us to trust the process and we will get there. And we believe in that.”
Hubbard has been one the few bright spots for the Panthers, averaging 105 yards rushing per game over the last three weeks with three total TDs. He has also developed into a reliable receiver.
Hubbard is averaging more than 6 yards per carry over the last four games.
“He’s not afraid of the dirty 2- and 3-yard run, where you just kind of have to cram it up in there,” Canales said. “And then later on in the game, they start popping into 8s and 12s, and here comes a 25. Just the discipline and his willingness to really commit to the system.”
The problem for the Panthers has been their penchant for falling behind, which has put added emphasis on throwing the ball.
Falcons safety Jessie Bates III is looking forward to his reunion with former Cincinnati Bengals teammate Andy Dalton, now Carolina’s quarterback. He said he’s also hoping for an opportunity to pick off a pass from his buddy.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Andy,” Bates said. “That was my quarterback when I got drafted in Cincinnati in 2018. So I’ve just got a lot of respect for how he goes about his work. He played a big part in how I operate to this day.”
When asked how Dalton impacted his career, Bates said he learned as a rookie from watching Dalton and “his process every day.”
“As a young guy, I feel like everybody should, you know, see how the leaders of your team operate,” Bates said.
Bates said Dalton “has always been known for getting the ball out quick and, you know, being super decisive with his reads.
“Obviously they’ve struggled the last couple of weeks, but Andy’s, you know, a really great dude and a really great player as well. Excited to go against them. Hopefully get some picks off him.”
If the Falcons reach the red zone, probability suggests there’s a great chance they’re going to score a touchdown this week.
No team has been worse at red-zone defense than the Panthers, who have allowed their opponents to find the end zone a remarkable 88% of the time they’ve penetrated the 20-yard line.
Canales said that stems from the team’s inability to stop the run.
“We have to get some stops and give our offense a chance to stay in the game,” cornerback Jaycee Horn said.
Falcons receiver Darnell Mooney’s strong start, including a two-touchdown game last week, has given Cousins another top target. Coach Raheem Morris said Mooney also has impressed during game-week preparations in the same way he saw Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp work with quarterback Matthew Stafford.
“You can just see how locked in he is in the game plans,” Morris said of Mooney. “And he’s got that too-cool-for-school attitude in meetings, but man, he gets everything. And he comes out of those meetings and he absolutely knows it all. He’s extremely locked in on the detail of what we’re trying to do from a holistic standpoint.
“I was fortunate enough to be around Cooper Kupp and his relationship he had with Matthew Stafford,” added Morris, the former Rams defensive coordinator. “And I won’t compare us to those guys after five games, but I definitely see some of the similarities.”
Brady Christensen will make his first start at center in place of Corbett, while the Panthers will turn to Yosh Nijman at right tackle. Christensen has played both guard and tackle in the past.
___
AP Sports Writer Charles Odum in Atlanta contributed to this report.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl