In a surprising turn of events, the Atlanta Falcons will be without their superstar wide receiver Calvin Ridley on Sunday. This team will now be short-handed against the Carolina Panthers in an important NFC South matchup.

According to Ian Rapoport, Ridley will be missing out on the Falcons' Week 8 contest due to a personal matter. It's unclear exactly what is going on with Ridley, for now, however, this is the second game he's missed this season for the same reason.

This is not ideal for a struggling Atlanta team. The odds are already stacked against them as the team is trying to find their identity. Interdivisional matchups are never easy, so losing their star receiver against the Panthers could be detrimental.

We'll see how it plays out, as Carolina will aim to take advantage of Atlanta. The Falcons will need their entire roster to step up. Cordarrelle Patterson will likely play a featured role like he has all season. Additionally, we should see rookie tight end Kyle Pitts make a huge impact as well.

Now is the time for Russell Gage to step up and prove himself as a viable pass option for the Falcons. Many believed he'd play a key role this year after the front office traded Julio Jones away to the Tennessee Titans in the offseason. Instead, Gage has been lackluster so far.

Look for Atlanta to lock in on Patterson and Pitts often throughout this game. Cordarrelle Patterson has been a pleasant surprise, while Kyle Pitts has come alive the past couple of weeks. Losing Calvin Ridley hurts, but it's not like the Falcons are dead in the water.

Keep an eye on Ridley, as something is going on in his life that's keeping him away from football. Hopefully, it's not too serious of a matter and he comes back to the team in Week 9. You can catch the Falcons-Panthers game at 1 pm on Sunday.