Roddy White broke two franchise records (catches and yards in a single season), Tony Gonzalez tied Don Maynard with his 88th touchdown reception and Matt Ryan tied Dan Marino for most wins in the first three seasons by a quarterback as the Atlanta Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers, 31-10 to secure home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
It was somewhat the passing of the torch as John Fox coached his last game for the Panthers at the same time Mike Smith awaits a contract extension. Fox showed a graphic during the game that showed how the Falcons could avenge all three losses they suffered during the regular season. They could meet the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round and then the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC title game before playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. That’s a tough road but one this Falcons team could handle.