Looking ahead past the first two weeks of the Atlanta Falcons' schedule, the road has just gotten a little easier. After starting with a tough divisional matchup against the Tampa Bay Bucs, the Falcons will go on the road to take on the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers in back-to-back weeks.
Facing Carolina has gotten undeniably easier, starting with the odd decision to trade veteran receiver Adam Thielen to Minnesota. In two seasons with the Panthers, the veteran pass catcher had over 1,600 yards.
Trading a player who has been this productive in a struggling offense suggests you're punting on the season. It isn't as if the Panthers have a long list of proven pass catchers capable of supporting Bryce Young. Dealing away Thielen sends a message not only to your own locker room but to the rest of your division.
Jalen Coker (quad) expected to miss 4-6 weeks, per @josephperson. https://t.co/oxU4CplpTG
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) August 30, 2025
Falcons Week 3 Matchup Continues to Appear Increasingly Winnable
Added into this is the fact that Jordan Schultz reported Jalen Coker is now expected to miss the first 4-6 weeks of the season. Coker was one of Carolina's better development stories in recent team history. The receiver signed as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2024 season, ending the year with a pair of touchdowns and 478 receiving yards. It was a season that appeared to signal a surprisingly bright future.
However, the young pass catcher has now been moved to IR, and Carolina is attempting to compensate for the losses of Thielen and Coker by signing the recently released Hunter Renfrow. There simply is no debating that the game against the Panthers just grew far easier from Atlanta's perspective.
This is important when you factor in the Falcons open the season against a tough Tampa Bay team, which has an incredibly talented veteran offense. A week later, you have to go on the road to Minnesota and take on a group that blew Atlanta off the field towards the end of the 2024 season. Having such a winnable game to look ahead to helps heighten expectations for the year ahead.
Not only do the Falcons gain the advantage of not facing Thielen or Coker, but you have a roster that you just told you don't believe they can win. Trading away a veteran player sends this message and leaves a bit of doubt in the head of your quarterback.
Already, there is reason to wonder if Bryce Young is going to live up to the lofty expectations he created at the end of the 2024 season. Now, you've taken away two of his top targets and made no effort to replace either with a viable option. All adding up to Atlanta having an undeniable advantage in Week 3.
The flip side of this is understanding that this game has zero margin for error. Atlanta has far tougher matchups left on the schedule and already couldn't afford to fumble this game away. With Coker and Thielen gone, this has already become an obvious must-win if Atlanta's 2025 season is going to play out as fans hope.