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Tribune News Service

Sport

Scott Fowler

Scott Fowler: Could these Carolina Panthers � who just won again � actually make the playoffs?

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Robby Anderson (11) makes a one-handed catch against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Kendall Sheffield (20) in the second quarter on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

The Carolina Panthers, somehow, are tied for first in the NFC South after Sunday's 23-16 win over Atlanta.

The Panthers have won three straight games _ all without Christian McCaffrey playing a single second _ and are tied at 3-2 with Tampa Bay atop the division. If New Orleans (2-2) wins Monday night against the L.A. Chargers, it will be a three-way tie.

Maybe it's fool's gold, but it sure hasn't felt like it the past three weeks. Carolina went down to its personal house of horrors in Atlanta on Sunday and won in a place it hardly ever wins. The Panthers were 6-19 in Atlanta until Sunday.

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (54) walks off of the field after the Falcons' 23-16 loss against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

In a larger sense, no one expected this. The Panthers were generally picked to go somewhere between 3-13 and 6-10 this season _ I tabbed them for 4-12 before the season began.

But they have played better on both the offensive and defensive lines, gotten strong play from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and backup tailback Mike Davis and, obviously, have bought into the philosophy of new coach Matt Rhule and his staff. Rhule keeps saying that he never uses the word "rebuild" about this team; he just keeps using the word "build." And the construction project is ahead of schedule.

So here's something you may not have paid much attention to when it happened, but six months ago, the NFL increased the playoff field from 12 to 14 teams for 2020. In other words, seven of the NFC's 16 teams will make the playoffs, instead of the usual six. There's an extra wild-card berth to be had.

Carolina Panthers running back Mike Davis (28) celebrates his receiving touchdown with wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (14) in the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

The Panthers right now are actually in contention for one of those seven spots. It's too early to talk playoffs in any real sense, but the fact that Carolina has a winning record right now is amazing. If the Panthers play this well, they'll have a shot.

Some notes from Sunday:

_ Block of the day: Wide receiver Curtis Samuel's downfield block on DJ Moore's 57-yard TD ensured that no one was going to catch Moore.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) reacts after throwing an interception in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The Falcons' lost 23-16 to the Panthers. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

_ Versatility of the day: Samuel also had three third-down catches on the same drive and took some snaps at tailback, spelling Mike Davis. His best run came on a third-and-2 in the fourth quarter, when he broke two tackles on a 17-yard gain.

_ Moore had that 57-yard touchdown in the second quarter, but he could have had another long one. A coverage miscue by the Falcons left Moore all alone on the left side early in the fourth quarter on what could have been a 75-yard TD. But Bridgewater, under pressure and looking right all the way, never saw him. In general, though, Bridgewater was tremendous (313 passing yards, no turnovers).

_ I know the Panthers, like all NFL teams, practice the "scoop and score" on defense all the time. But safety Juston Burris went for that play instead of simply falling on a Matt Ryan fumble in the second quarter and, as so often happens, he missed the ball entirely and Atlanta recovered. Burris more than made up for it late in the fourth quarter, though, with an end-zone interception of Ryan on third-and-4 from the Carolina 5. Bridgewater labeled that the "play of the game."

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, center, walks by general manager Thomas Dimitroff in the remaining minutes of the Falcons' 23-16 loss against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

_ Former star tight end Tony Gonzalez had some high praise for Robby Anderson at halftime on Fox Sports. "The best free-agent pickup so far to me is Robby Anderson," Gonzalez said. "He has been an unbelievable upgrade for them in this offense."

_ The Falcons losing Julio Jones (hamstring) for the entire game was a significant blow to their offense. Of course, the Panthers were also without McCaffrey.

_ Anderson now has 99-plus yards in four of Carolina's first five games this season. And on a team that employed Steve Smith for 13 years, Anderson has the most receptions through five games (36) of any Panther in team history. He also grabbed the ball on Atlanta's last-gasp onside kick to seal the game.