Has “The Carolina Reaper” done it again?
This past Sunday, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young slayed the Atlanta Falcons to close out the regular season—throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns in a 44-38 win. He also rushed for a pair of scores, becoming the very first quarterback in Panthers history to record three touchdown passes and two touchdown runs in a single game.
Now, almost one week later, those Falcons have announced that they have parted ways with defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake as well as defensive line coach Jay Rodgers. So, yeah, you know what that means . . .
Lake and Rodgers are the latest victims to meet an undesirable fate directly following a loss to Young and his Panthers. They join the following:
- (Former) New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen: Fired after Week 9 loss to the Panthers
- (Former) New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones: Benched by Giants after Week 10 loss to Panthers
- Arizona Cardinals: Eliminated from playoff contention after Week 16 loss to Panthers
The Falcons finished a disappointing 2024 campaign having allowed 345.2 total yards per game, the 10th-most in the league. They also registered the second-fewest sacks (31).