Bodog Beat

A strong run defense used to be one of the strong suits of the Carolina Panthers, but no longer. (AP Images)

On Sunday, the Panthers allowed the Atlanta Falcons to plough their way to 133 yards on 33 carries and five touchdowns in a 45-28 loss at the Georgia Dome. It continues an ugly trend for the Panthers since the bye week.

In the past three games the Panthers have allowed 410 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Next up they will face the Green Bay Packers, who are 3-point favorites heading into Sunday.
The Packers will be looking to fix a pass defense that got roasted by the Saints. The final net passing total of 318 yards was a season high against Green Bay, which had been yielding an average of 176.3 yards per game. Only three opponents before the Saints had passed for at least 200 yards against the Packers this season.