Atlanta ends Panthers’ ideal season

Carolina got one last chance when it got the ball with 90 seconds left and no timeouts remaining.

Carolina, which had won 18 straight regular-season games, had an opportunity with just more than a minute left, but Vic Beasley beat right tackle Mike Remmers and forced a Cam Newton fumble to end the game.

They may not have been expecting too big of a challenge from the Atlanta Falcons, but they ended up handing them their first loss of the season, and foiling their ideal year, according to USA Today.

Newton had two chances to lead comeback drives late in the fourth quarter but couldn’t find the end zone.

Panthers dead coach Ron Rivera says seeing fans remain supportive after the loss was an emotional experience. He threw for 142 yards and was held without a touchdown pass for only the second time this season. He also led a key fourth-quarter drive that produced a field goal from Shayne Graham.

The Panthers’ 13 points represented their lowest total of the season. The Panthers had scored at least 24 points in 13 consecutive games.

The Carolina Panthers played a desperate Atlanta team vetting for a glimmer of playoff possibility.

“I’m not sure if we were doing the things as coaches and players to put ourselves in position to have success”, Rivera said. Adding to that, the Atlanta Falcons had a score to settle after Carolina embarrassed their squad 38-0 last month.

Said wide receiver Roddy White of what he perceived as the Panthers’ over-celebratory nature during Sunday’s game: “I didn’t like that, but that’s what they are as a team”. In this one, however, they turned back a team riding a three-game winning streak and striving for a playoff berth.

The New Orleans Saints picked up their sixth win of the season as Drew Brees passed for 412 yards and three touchdowns to help the Saints to a 38-27 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the St. Louis Rams defeated the Seattle Seahawks 23-17.

But now the Panthers must win next Sunday at home in the regular-season finale against Tampa Bay to guarantee that No. 1 playoff seed over surging Arizona (13-2).

Jones had nine catches for 178 yards and has 127 receptions this year to rank third on the National Football League single-season list. But veteran cornerback Charles Tillman let himself get sucked into a scuffle with White, and Tillman got caught for a 15-yard penalty.

Ryan’s performance was impressive given how often he set his feet to complete a pass knowing an blocked Carolina defender was about to hit him.

The Giants (6-9) played without suspended receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

Freeman scored from the 4 on the first play of the second quarter for a 7-7 tie.

Ryan Mallet threw for a career-high 274 yards as the Baltimore Ravens put a three-match losing streak behind them with a surprise 20-17 success over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cardinals sacked Rodgers eight times and returned two of his fumbles for touchdowns. The Bears would not lose again, going on to win the Super Bowl.

The Falcons will make history when they miss the playoffs after starting 5-0 (they’re still mathematically alive, but the odds are hovering around two percent), and it serves as reminder of how much needs to be done.