ATL Standard

There was a palpable sense of disappointment in the air following the Atlanta Falcons' 44-38 overtime defeat to the Carolina Panthers. Head coach Raheem Morris did not mince words in his postgame press conference, stating, "Really disappointing day on defense."

Morris expressed his frustration with the defensive performance, saying, "I was really disappointed in our defense today, especially based off how they've been playing and how we've been going; how we've been attacking the quarterback; how we've been able to manipulate in terms of getting after people. I was really fired up with where we were going, the direction we were going. We took a step back today — a huge step back."

The Falcons allowed 425 yards to the Panthers in Week 18, marking their third-highest total conceded this season and their fifth game allowing over 400 yards. Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed 25 of his 34 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns without being sacked or intercepted.

Young's first touchdown came from a second-and-10 play at Atlanta's 33-yard line when he found running back Mile Sanders open near the end zone. The second touchdown occurred on a fourth-and-1 play at the Falcons' 12-yard line, with Young connecting with tight end Tommy Tremble. The final touchdown pass happened on a second-and-9 play at Atlanta's 9-yard line to wide receiver David Moore.

Falcons safety Justin Simmons noted issues in coverage: "The key emphasis there is the plaster in coverage and make sure we have good integrity in our rush lanes." He added, "There's no pointing fingers. We just didn't do a good enough job on either end — coverage with plastering and rushing them."

Young also contributed with his legs, scoring two rushing touchdowns and gaining 24 yards on five carries. His first rushing touchdown was a 2-yard scramble in the second quarter, followed by a 10-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Reflecting on Young's performance, Morris said, "Watching Bryce run into the end zone, I think he made a couple people miss. That was magic by him and a nice job by him." However, he emphasized that overall defensive efforts were lacking: "We just got to be straight-up honest with ourselves. That was not good enough."

In overtime, Carolina started at its own 30-yard line and advanced downfield for a decisive victory-sealing touchdown run by Sanders after ten plays. Young completed all five of his pass attempts during this period for an additional 56 yards.

The Falcons' offense did not get an opportunity to respond for the second week running. Outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie commented on the loss: "Losing to a team we're not supposed to lose to, it's unfortunate. We have to go into the offseason with that feeling."