While the Panthers fell to the Falcons earlier this year, they did do a few things well in that first meeting. Receiver Kelvin Benjamin and defensive end Charles Johnson had two of their better games of the season back in Week 11, and they’ll need to replicate that success to help the Panthers win the NFC South on Sunday.

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Benjamin did most of his damage against cornerback Desmond Trufant, one of the only star-caliber players on the Falcons’ 32nd-ranked defense. Of Benjamin’s season-high nine catches and 109 yards, five of those catches and 73 of those yards came when he was matched up with Trufant.

In this example, there are two crucial points where Benjamin displays textbook footwork to get open:

1. Here he uses a stop-and-start move to fool Trufant. When Benjamin slows and shuffles his feet, Trufant must react. The receiver is either going to break on his route or continue to go vertical. Trufant doesn’t bite too hard, but he does come forward slightly. That movement is enough to give Benjamin an edge when he makes his next move.

2. Benjamin comes back to his quarterback and gets great separation against Trufant. This throws off the cornerback because Benjamin sold the deep route so well in the previous move. The foot frequency he displays here is a major asset, as is the slight use of his arm to create a little extra space.

That’s the type of route Benjamin will have to run on Sunday if he hopes to repeat his work against Trufant. He’ll also need to eliminate mistakes at the catch point, which almost cost him a touchdown in Week 11:

When Benjamin gets both hands on the ball in frame one, it should be a catch right then. But he lets it clank off his hands, and he begins to fall to his right. To his credit, Benjamin doesn’t lose concentration, and he tracks the ball as it falls to the ground. He then saves the play by bringing in the pass with one hand.

Benjamin has the talent to make spectacular catches, but this is a case where the job could have been done easier. And given the five-inch size advantage he’ll have over Trufant, the Panthers could certainly try to replicate another jump ball scenario.

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Johnson, a Georgia native, loves playing the Falcons. In his last seven games against them, he has nine sacks, including one from Week 11.

In the example below, when Johnson bursts off the edge, he beats right tackle Ryan Schraeder with little resistance. While it seems like a simple speed rush, it’s actually a nice mix of strength and athleticism:

In the left frame, we see the athleticism. Johnson is the first defensive lineman off at the snap. He’s ready to rush before the counterparts to his right are even out of their stance.

In the right frame, we see Johnson use his strength to finish the job. When Schraeder engages with him, Johnson continues to have the leverage. His entire frame is still square while Schraeder gets under his pads. Johnson rips through and powers off his right foot into the quarterback.

Schraeder and the entire Falcons’ offensive line have played better lately, but if recent history holds, Johnson should have some “Big Money” moments.

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