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NFC South (formerly NFC West from 1995–2001)
The Falcons–Panthers rivalry or I-85 rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers.
Lore & Background
The rivalry began when the Panthers joined as an expansion team. The two teams have been in the same division since the Panthers joined the league, and thus play each other twice a year. For their first seven years, the Panthers were alongside the Falcons in the NFC West. In 2002, both teams would be put in the newly established NFC South. It is known as the 'I-85 rivalry' due to Atlanta and Charlotte being only four hours apart on Interstate 85. Games between the two teams feature large contingents of visiting fans in both cities. The Falcons lead the overall series, 37–25. The two teams have not met in the playoffs.
Reader's Guide
The rivalry began in 1995 when the Panthers joined as an expansion team. Carolina's first ever regular season game was a 23–20 overtime loss to the Falcons on September 3, 1995. Later that season, Carolina defeated Atlanta 21–17 for their seventh win of the year. Carolina faced Atlanta in the first regular season game played at Ericsson Stadium in 1996, which the Panthers won. By the end of the 1990s, the series was tied 5–5. In the 2000s, the Falcons won 13 of 20 games. In the 2010s, notable games included a 34–3 Panthers win in the last week of the 2014 season and a 20–13 Falcons win in week 16 of the 2015 season.
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