Carolina Panthers' Ron Rivera optimistic of playoff place

Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera is eyeing a place for his side in the NFL playoffs following their four-game winning streak.

The Panthers moved to 5-3 in their season with a 34-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday to close the gap to the New Orleans Saints to one game at the top of the NFC South.

"I'm confident in who our guys are. And I'm an optimist," Rivera told the Charlotte Observer.

"But the thing I want to stress is this is the next most important game we play because it's the one we're about, and that's the 49ers."

Rivera's side face the San Francisco 49ers in week 10.