Stats and Superlatives: Panthers at Falcons

THE PANTHERS:

Earned the first back-to-back playoff appearance in franchise history.
Are the first repeat NFC South champion since the NFL realigned in 2002.
Are the second NFL team to win a division with a losing record. Seattle was 7-9 in 2010.
Are the second NFL team to make the postseason after a six-game losing streak. Cincinnati also did it in 1970.
Scored two defensive touchdowns in the same game for the first time in franchise history.
Have racked up 15 sacks (six Sunday) and three defensive touchdowns in their last two games in Atlanta.
Did not allow a touchdown for the first time since a 27-6 win over the Bucs on 12/1/13.
Had two players (Kelvin Benjamin/Greg Olsen) finish with at least 1,000 receiving yards for the second time in franchise history (Muhsin Muhammad/Patrick Jeffers, ’99)
Will face an NFC West opponent in the playoffs for the fourth straight time.
Will have, at the earliest, the No. 21 pick in this spring’s draft.

THE FALCONS:

Scored their fewest points (3) since a 37-3 loss to the Bucs on 12/16/07. They had averaged 33.8 points in five wins against NFC South opponents this year.

PANTHERS:

Coach Ron Rivera improved to 15-3 in December. He was won seven straight games in the month.
QB Cam Newton scored a rushing touchdown in his third straight game. He had two rushing scores in his first 11 games this season. Newton’s 10 completions tied a career low (Saints, 10/30/14), and his 16 attempts and 114 passing yards were career lows. In eight career games against Atlanta, Newton has passed for 12 touchdowns while running in five scores.
WR Philly Brown had the two biggest plays of the game for the Panthers: a 28-yard reception and a career-best 28-yard run.
WR Jerricho Cotchery caught all three of his targets. His has caught all 13 of his targets over his last three games.
WR Kelvin Benjamin had a season-low one reception for nine yards, but he became the first Panthers’ rookie to hit 1,000 receiving yards in a year (1,008).
TE Greg Olsen hauled in his only two receptions of the game on the Panthers’ opening drive. He became the first Panthers’ TE to hit 1,000 receiving yards in a year (1,008).
TE Ed Dickson scored his first touchdown since he was with the Ravens against the Vikings on 12/8/13.
DE Charles Johnson had his tenth sack in his last eight games against the Falcons. Johnson piled up all 8.5 of his sacks this season in his final 12 games.
DE Kony Ealy had his third sack in as many weeks.
DT Star Lotulelei picked up his first two sacks of the season. He also had at least three other QB hits.
LB Luke Kuechly had two passed defensed. He finished the regular season with a career-high 11 passes defensed.
LB Thomas Davis finished the regular season with 100 tackles. It’s the third straight year he’s had triple-digit tackles.
FS Tre Boston had the first interception of his NFL career. He scored his first touchdown since he returned an interception 36 yards for UNC against Virginia on 11/15/12.
SS Roman Harper scored his second-career touchdown and his first since 12/10/07. His four interceptions this season were a career high.
P Brad Nortman tied a career high with a 72-yard punt. He also had a 72-yarder against the Dolphins on 11/24/13.

FALCONS:

QB Matt Ryan fell to 5-1 against the NFC South this year and threw his first two interceptions of the season against a division opponent. Ryan, who hadn’t been sacked since early in the third quarter of Week 14, was sacked six times and hit at least 12 other times. He failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in 21 games.
WR Julio Jones had his string of 100-plus yard games snapped at three. In two games against the Panthers this year, Jones caught 10 passes for 117 yards and no touchdowns.
WR Roddy White did not score a touchdown against the Panthers for the first time in six games.