NEXT FOR FALCONS

Sunday's result: defeated Cleveland 17-13 in Bank of America Stadium on Sunday in Charlotte.

The skinny: The Panthers welcomed back quarterback Cam Newton, who played his first game since sustaining two fractures in his lower back in a car wreck two weeks ago. He threw for the deciding touchdown on a 9-yard pass to Jonathan Stewart with 7:07 to play. Derek Anderson filled in well for Newton in his absence. Before the accident, Newton had led the Panthers to a rout over the Saints in New Orleans.

Series history: The Falcons lead 24-15. Atlanta beat Carolina 19-17 on Nov. 16 with a 44-yard field goal by Matt Bryant.

State of the union: The Panthers are the defending NFC South champs, but have found the going pretty tough this season much like the rest of the division. Before beating the Saints 41-10 on Dec. 7, the Panthers lost six straight games. Anderson led the Panthers to a 19-17 win over the Buccaneers in Newton's absence. Here's what Charlotte Observer columnist Tom Sorensen had to say last week: "An AFC team with 10 victories will be shut out of the playoffs. The NFC South champion, meanwhile, not only will make the playoffs with a record of 7-8-1 or 7-9, but will host a playoff game. This is why we hear the predictable argument that the playoffs should be limited to teams with a winning record. This is why the argument is as absurd this time as the last time we heard it. Do you think that when a coach addresses his players before the season, he says: 'We have goals, gentlemen. And the foremost among them is to win a bunch of games and watch the playoffs on TV!' Everybody knew the rules. Why pretend the league will change them? The NFC South, which is ridiculed nationally and seemingly hourly, might be the NIT. Why would it care? The winner gets to compete for the Super Bowl. It's not as if this is a typical season for the division. The South has had only one losing season in the previous five. I feel for the good teams that fail to get in. Cincinnati leads the AFC North with a record of 9-4-1, and Pittsburgh and Baltimore are 9-5. I want the Ravens to advance. What good are the playoffs without a perpetually put-upon Harbaugh? Also, I like to watch Steve Smith."

Three things: 1) The Panthers won the last meeting at the Georgia Dome, 21-20, on Dec. 29, 2013. Newton rushed 12 times for 72 yards and tossed two touchdown passes. 2) Before facing Cleveland, rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin and tight end Greg Olsen were on track to become 1,000-yard receivers. It would be the first time since 1999 that the team had two receivers reach 1,000 yards. 3) The Falcons' fans have been selling their tickets of late. It will be interesting to see how many Panthers' fans get into the Georgia Dome.