Panthers first team to clinch first-round playoff bye

Carolina extended the lead late in the second quarter.

The Panthers (13-0) continued their franchise-best start to the season and clinched an opening-weekend bye in the NFC when the playoffs begin next month.

Nevertheless, coach Ron Rivera stated both players must be fantastic and will have returned to the game still he elected to maintain them out with the Panthers holding a 28-Zero direct at halftime.In truth, most of Carolina’s starters have been out of the game within the fourth quarter.

Olsen injured his left knee and Stewart his left ankle, the team announced.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Cam Newton raced from one end of the Carolina Panthers’ sideline to the other in the final moments of a 38-0 rout of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, raising his arms to the crowd as fans cheered on their emotional MVP candidate.

It wasn’t all good news for the Panthers, however.

Injuries were an even bigger concern for the Bengals, who lost quarterback Andy Dalton to a broken thumb in the second quarter of a 33-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have now scored 30 points in five straight games.

Tom Brady threw touchdowns to Keshawn Martin and the fit-again Rob Gronkowski to help the Pats to a 14-point lead against the Houston Texans before their defence took over, led by Jabaal Sheard. By beating the Titans 30-8 the Jets also kept their playoff hopes alive as they are now 8-5 on the season.

Washington 24, Bears 21: Kirk Cousins threw for 300 yards and a touchdown and Washington hung on to beat the Bears after Chicago’s Robbie Gould missed yet another late field-goal try.

The Falcons came closest to scoring when they reached the Carolina 1-yard line on a fourth-down play with less than 10 minutes remaining.

SEAHAWKS 35, RAVENS 6 (at Baltimore) – Russell Wilson threw five touchdown passes, three to Doug Baldwin, against injury-depleted Baltimore (4-9).

The West Craven High School product caught one pass for nine yards. The Chiefs improved to 8-5 and lead the chase for an AFC wild-card berth.

Alex Smith threw for 191 yards and a touchdown, along with his first interception after a franchise-record 312 attempts. I don’t need anything to get me going outside of just the love for the game, but I kind of get excited when I play Atlanta…. The New York Giants (5-7) could make it a three-way tie with a win at Miami on Monday night.

– Behind Johnny Manziel (man-ZEHL’) the Browns got back on the winning track with a 24-10 win over the visiting 49ers. His outing was complete with the Panthers leading 38-0, with Derek Anderson replacing him for the final snaps of the third quarter. He capped the drive by leaping over the pile for his sixth TD rushing of the season. Jones finished with seven receptions for 88 yards, but 60 of the yards came in the second half after the Panthers had established a comfortable lead.

SAINTS 24, BUCCANEERS 17: In Tampa, Florida, Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes to Marques Colston as New Orleans stopped a four-game losing streak.

The Panthers jumped on the Falcons early, scoring on touchdown drives of 80, 93 and 80 yards on their first three possessions.