Do the very simple math.

"A win this week against Carolina would pump this team up, and it's something that we need," Falcons center Todd McClure said. "We can put another stretch together like we had before the last loss. We still have a lot of hope in this locker room that this season can be successful, and we can make the playoffs."

WHICH Panthers?

Coach Fox wants it all

The Panthers passed for 294 yards against the Falcons in their first meeting on Sept. 28.

Last week the Panthers ran for a team-record 264 yards on 32 carries against Detroit.

Which team will show up at the Georgia Dome, the passing Panthers or the running Panthers?

"If I had my druthers, I'd like to have them both at once," Carolina coach John Fox said.

DELHOMME VS. RYAN

Quarterbacks running rough

Both teams are looking for their quarterbacks to bounce back.

Carolina's Jake Delhomme hasn't passed for more than 100 yards in each of the past two games.

Atlanta's Matt Ryan had his fourth lowest (71.5) quarterback rating of the season last week.

Delhomme was 7-of-27 passing with four interceptions against Oakland on Nov. 9.

"We have seen that," Falcons cornerback Chris Houston said of Delhomme's recent struggles. "But every Sunday a person can step up and have one of the greatest games they ever played. So we know he's going to come in here and compete."

Ryan was 20 of 33 for 250 yards, no touchdowns and one interception last week against Denver.

"We don't look at him as a rookie," Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers said. "He's just a quarterback. We don't say we are going to try to trick him with disguises or blitzes or anything like that. He's just a quarterback."

FULLY LOADED

Solid line puts ball in the air

The Falcons are counting on the Panthers to put at least eight players near the line of scrimmage.

The Panthers held Falcons running back Michael Turner to 56 yards on 18 carries in Week 4.

"We are going to have to stretch the ball down the field," said Falcons wide receiver Michael Jenkins, who has touchdown catches of 62 and 37 yards this season.

"Obviously we are a running team, but we have to take some shots and be able to hit those shots when we get a chance."

KEEPING PEPPERS UNDER CONTROL

Stats climb; defensive end on move

Carolina's Julius Peppers is enjoying his move to right defensive end.

"I feel comfortable over there now," Peppers said. "It's starting to feel more natural over there."

He has nine tackles and five forced fumbles this season after switching from left defensive end.

"Numbers-wise, that's good for the stat sheet," Peppers said. "I feel good about that. I also feel good about the overall play of the defense compared to a year ago."

Peppers will go against Falcons left tackle Todd Weiner. They know each other from when Peppers played left end and Weiner was a right tackle.

"I've been playing against Todd for years now," Peppers said. "He's that same old crafty veteran."

Peppers had two sacks and a forced fumble last week. He's rebounding after having just 2 1/2 sacks last season.

His nine sacks ranks third in the NFC and sixth in the league.

The Falcons' John Abraham is the only defensive end with more sacks than Peppers with 11.

"A lot was made of last season, and I think he took that to heart," Carolina head coach John Fox said. "He worked very hard this offseason. He's having a tremendous season thus far."

MATCHUP

* Favorite: Falcons by 1

* Series record: Falcons lead 16-11.

* Last meeting: Panthers 24, Falcons 9, Sept. 28

* Last week: Panthers beat Lions 31-22; Falcons lost to Broncos 24-20.

* Notes: Panthers are 2-2 on road. ... Carolina held Falcons QB Matt Ryan to 158 yards earlier this season, matching his season low. ... Panthers rushed for franchise-record 264 yards in victory over Detroit. Jonathan Stewart ripped off 130 yards and DeAngelo Williams added 120, first time in team history two backs eclipsed 100 yards in same game. ... Williams has three straight 100-yard games. ... Rookie Ryan is averaging 259.2 yards passing over past five games (seven touchdowns, three interceptions). ... Falcons RB Michael Turner is on cusp of his first 1,000-yard season. Fifth-year back ranks third in league with 971 yards, trailing Minnesota's Adrian Peterson and Washington's Clinton Portis. ... Turner leads league with 227 carries.

Panthers AT Falcons * 4:15 P.M. SUNDAY * FOX * 92.9 FM

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