The Carolina Panthers have hammered the Atlanta Falcons 38-0 in their NFC South clash to remain on course for a perfect season, while they have also clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs.
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The home side took the lead on their first possession of the match when Cam Newton drove his side to the goalline before he handed the ball off to running back Jonathan Stewart to rush through for the touchdown.
Carolina extended their lead when Newton dropped back and launched the ball deep down the left side for the run of Ted Ginn Jr, who beat his man to catch the ball to race into the endzone for a 74-yard touchdown.
The Panthers compounded their advantage as Ginn Jr raided behind the Falcons' defense again, and Newton picked him out down the middle of the field to allow the wideout to sprint to the endzone for a 46-yard score.
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Newton threw his third touchdown pass of the match to hand his side complete control of the contest before the break when he fired the ball to Ed Dickson to make the catch at the back of the endzone.
The Panthers kept the pressure on in the third quarter as Newton moved his side into field-goal range and Graham Gano knocked his effort through the posts from 38 yards.
The NFC South champions notched their fifth touchdown of the game when Fozzie Whittaker took the handoff from Newton and he raced over the right side of the line to record a 16-yard score.
Carolina pulled Newton from the game as a result of their dominance, and their defense kept the Falcons off the scoreboard to secure a commanding victory.
The result means that the Panthers have secured a place in the top two seeds in the NFC in the playoff race, while the Falcons dropped their sixth straight match to leave them at 6-7 in their campaign.
Simon Sinclair
