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Separated only by a short trip down Interstate 85, the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons have long been each other's closest enemy. From Carolina's very first game as an NFL franchise in 1995 onwards, the Panthers and Falcons have been bitter rivals for 30 years, with plenty of back-and-forth instances of one sticking it to the other. This season, the annual renewal of the Panthers and Falcons' feud begins with the Panthers' home opener, as they play their first game of the season at Bank of America Stadium desperately needing to win a game.

Despite entering the offseason on the strength of their finish to the 2024 season -- which included a 44-38 win over the Falcons in overtime -- the Panthers have once again started 0-2, coming out flat against the Jacksonville Jaguars before a late comeback attempt against the Arizona Cardinals fell short. The Panthers will be hard pressed to finish the job this week, as they'll be facing off against a Falcons team coming off their first win of the season and the high of a revamped defense fulfilling its promise.

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Where to watch Panthers vs. Falcons

  • When: Sunday, Sept. 21 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
  • Where: Bank of America Stadium -- Charlotte, North Carolina
  • TV: Fox | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Odds: Falcons -5.5; O/U 43.5 (via DraftKings)

Panthers vs. Falcons: Need to know

Can Xavier Legette get going? While the early returns on Panthers rookie wide receiver and first round pick Tetairoa McMillan are very promising, there is a growing level of concern surrounding the performance of their other wide receiver and first round pick from a year ago, Xavier Legette. After struggling with drops as a rookie, Legette has been a complete non-factor in the offense through the first two games of 2025, as he has recorded just four receptions for eight yards on 15 targets. Legette, who caught 49 passes for 497 yards a year ago, is also dealing with a hamstring injury this week as he teeters on the edge of falling behind not only McMillan, but others including Hunter Renfrow and tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders in the passing game.

Can the Falcons defense keep it up? In Atlanta, the talk of the town has been the Falcons' defense, which took a major leap forward last week against the Minnesota Vikings. The Falcons shut down a Vikings offense that has one of the best reputations in the league, forcing four turnovers and earning six sacks on their way to a 22-6 victory. Some of that production, however, can be attributed to Atlanta going up against a highly inexperienced J.J. McCarthy making just his second career start. Bryce Young has been more confounding to the Falcons, as Young has won his last two starts playing Atlanta including a performance in which he carved up the Falcons for five touchdowns in a Week 18 win last season.

One major impediment towards the Falcons having yet another exemplary defensive performance is the status of All-Pro cornerback A.J. Terrell, who is described as week-to-week after injuring his hamstring a week ago and faces a highly uncertain status for Sunday.

Panthers vs. Falcons prediction, pick

The Falcons are favored in this game by -5.5, but I'm going to go with the home team and pick the Panthers to win considering that I think their late rally against the Cardinals was important for the character of their team. In coming all the way back from 27-3 in the third quarter to have a chance to win the game on their final drive, the Panthers showed that they can get off the mat and fight back when adversity strikes, which isn't something they've been able to do very easily in recent years. While their comeback attempt came up short, I think a little homecoming in uptown Charlotte and the Falcons' own issues -- namely the potential absence of A.J. Terrell -- will help the Panthers get their first win of this young season. Pick: Panthers, Over 43.5