Atlanta has more than a few question marks at quarterback, while Carolina is coming off a disastrous defensive performance when the Panthers visit the Falcons on Sunday.
First-year head coach Kevin Stefanski faced quarterback problems during his time with the Cleveland Browns. The instability at the position is already rearing its ugly head in Atlanta.
Two days prior to the Falcons’ 20-13 season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cooper Rush was named the starter after offseason acquisition Tua Tagovailoa was deemed “day-to-day” with an oblique injury.
The Falcons are sticking with Rush again in Week 2, but there’s a possibility one of Atlanta’s other quarterbacks will be under center when the team visits the Green Bay Packers the following Thursday night. Michael Penix Jr., the franchise’s first-round pick two years ago, was not ready to return after suffering a partially torn ACL last November. Tagovailoa is still suffering from the oblique issue.
Stefanski even began the week by saying that Jack Strand, a 22-year-old undrafted rookie out of Division II Minnesota State-Moorhead, would not be ruled out to start Sunday.
Rush delivered the league’s lowest QBR (2.6) in Week 1.
“There’s going to be plays that you want back or there’s going to be — we’re not going to be perfect on any Sunday, but understand that that’s why we work,” Stefanski said.
Rush is getting the call to face a Panthers defense lit up for 59 points by the Bears last week.
“We’re excited to be at home versus Carolina, the reigning division champs at our place,” Stefanski said. “It’s a good team. It’s a sound team. … We have a great challenge in front of us.”
The Panthers swept the Falcons last season for the first time since 2013.
Carolina was carved for 552 total yards in a 59-37 home loss to the Chicago Bears last week. That doesn’t mean head coach Dave Canales is abandoning the defensive blueprint heading into Atlanta.
“I like our system. I like our scheme,” Canales said. “I’ve seen this scheme work at a high level, and I’ve seen us work in this scheme at a high level. We need to find that week in and week out. All of us are disappointed with how it played out. But this is the work we have. We come back to it, we look at it, we improve it and we go right back to work.”
Bright spots through one game have come on offense. The Panthers’ 37 points were their most since January 2025, a welcome sight after finishing 27th in the league with 18.3 points per game a season ago.
Bryce Young’s 361 passing yards were the second most in his career, only behind the 448 he had in a win over the Falcons last November. Still, consistent play is expected from a team trying to return to the postseason in consecutive years for the first time in more than a decade.
In five career matchups, Young has dominated Atlanta. He’s 4-1 against the Falcons with a 66.7% completion percentage, seven passing touchdowns and three rushing scores. Young’s head coach can’t explain the 25-year-old’s good fortune against Atlanta, but he hopes to see it continue on Sunday.
“I’m glad that he’s found success playing in that stadium. I hope it happens again,” Canales said. “For me, it’s just about consistency, it’s not about the team we’re playing. I don’t think there’s any magical, geographical thing behind this. I just want to see Bryce build off of last week.”
Carolina outside linebacker Patrick Jones II (back) is questionable. Defensive tackle Bobby Brown III (back) was ruled out.
Offensive guard Chris Lindstrom (concussion) and defensive back A.J. Terrell (shoulder) are questionable for the Falcons, who ruled out Penix and cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. (Achilles).