CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers drained seven minutes and 35 seconds off the clock to ultimately defeat the Atlanta Falcons, 9-7, Sunday with a walk-off field goal at Bank of America Stadium.
Below is how every game recap this 2023 season will be broken down by quarter for right-at-the-buzzer consumption, starting with a note that Atlanta won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. New Orleans started with the ball.
The weather wasn’t the only thing dreary about the start of Sunday’s game. It was 47 degrees at kickoff, with consistent rain. Just about every fan was in a poncho or at least some type of waterproof jacket.
And then neither team scored in the opening 15 minutes.
(NOTE: The last time the Falcons scored a touchdown on their first offensive drive was in Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Atlanta ultimately won that game, 16-13. … Also, the last time the Falcons did not put up any points in the first quarter was Week 13 against the New York Jets. Atlanta ultimately won that game, 13-8. It, too, was a rain fest.)
Since there were no scoring plays to note, let’s take a look at the stats sheet. The Falcons netted 55 yards, while the Panthers had 33. Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier led both teams with 29 yards rushing on seven carries. Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder led both teams with 25 yards passing on three completions out of five attempts. And then Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts led both teams with 10 yards receiving on one catch.