Falcons-Panthers odds: Atlanta’s a favorite in Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The Falcons lost and the Panthers won last week. There’s no spinning or denying that Youth Keanu Neal Jersey , and I won’t try to. I will, however, point out this:The Falcons lost 18-12 to the defending Super Bowl champion. The Panthers beat the Dallas Cowboys, who are missing their starting center and legitimately have no high-end options in the passing game, by a score of 16-8. The Falcons lost starting safety Keanu Neal and linebacker Deion Jones could be iffy for this upcoming game, which isn’t good. The Panthers re-lost starting tackle Daryl Williams after losing Matt Kalil, will lose Greg Olsen to a broken foot, and could be without receiver Curtis Samuel. Their offensive line is a legitimate mess.The Panthers put up the 5th-fewest yards in the NFL in the first week of the season against that lackluster Cowboys defense, while the Falcons held the Eagles to the 3rd-fewest yards, a full 60 less than Carolina put up. The Falcons could absolutely lose this game. They could come out and muck things up like they’re so fond of doing Youth Julio Jones Jersey , they could find that Carolina front seven impossible to deal with, and their defense might struggle to contain a potent rushing attack, especially with Keanu Neal and Deion Jones out. But nothing that happened Sunday minus the Falcons’ hilarious inability to score in the red zone suggests that outcome. It does suggest an ugly one, so buckle up for that. I mention all this to explain why the Falcons are favored at home. They started out as four point favorites and the line is moving, as they were six point favorites late Tuesday when I wrote this. At home, licking their wounds and both healthier and arguably more talented than Carolina, they should win this one. They really should.Now we’ll see if they can.Breaking: Deion Jones to injured reserve with a foot injury The bad news continues to pile up for the Falcons, as the team has just announced that star linebacker Deion Jones has been placed on injured reserve.Jones has been dealing with a foot injury since the opener against the Eagles, and we now know that it will keep him out for quite some time. Coach Dan Quinn said that tests after Thursday’s game in Philadelphia revealed an injury that requires an as-yet undisclosed procedure, but that the team is hopeful Jones will return at some point this season. Quinn did not provide specifics regarding either the injury or his potential return date.This is the last news the Atlanta Falcons wanted to hear right on the heels of Keanu Neal’s season-ending knee injury http://www.authenticsatlantafalcons.com/cheap-ryan-schraeder-jersey , as now they will be without two of their most impactful young defenders. To say this is a blow to the defense is a massive understatement, and it won’t be clear for some time how the Falcons choose to address the now glaring hole at middle linebacker. Jones is coming off of his first Pro Bowl season, a year where he officially put the NFL on notice, notching 91 solo tackles and three interceptions. ProFootball Focus considers him one of the best coverage linebackers in the league today, and he was primed to build on that reputation in his third year. The Falcons are now without their first and second-round picks in 2016’s NFL Draft, and a promising season has quickly been tossed into a state of flux. The questions will be answered in the days to come, but for now we want to extend our best wishes to Deion Jones, and hope he’s back in the near future.