Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Temperature: Dome
Head Official: John Parry
Attendance: 67349
The Atlanta Falcons didn't need to watch any scoreboard but the one inside the Georgia Dome, as they pounded the Carolina Panthers 31-10 on Sunday to lock up the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
The Falcons (13-3) needed either a win or a New Orleans loss to clinch home-field advantage through the NFC championship game, but they made sure they didn't need any help.
Matt Ryan threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half, and Eric Weems returned a punt 55 yards for a score as the Falcons built a 21-0 halftime lead. Ryan threw for 236 yards on 22-of-32 passing with touchdown passes to Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez.
With six catches for 62 yards, White finishes the regular season with 115 catches, breaking Terance Mathis' franchise record of 111, and 1,388 yards, topping his own club mark.
The Panthers (2-14), who will have the No. 1 pick in April's draft, scored their lone touchdown on a 2-yard pass from rookie Jimmy Clausen to tight end Jeff King with 23 seconds left.
It was the last game for John Fox as Carolina's head coach. In nine seasons with the Panthers, Fox went 78-74 (including playoffs) with three division titles and an NFC crown.
| Carolina | Atlanta | |
| Brandon LaFell | Player | Michael Turner |
| 1 | Attempts | 17 |
| 60 | Yards | 67 |
| 60.0 | Avg Yards | 3.9 |
| 0 | Touchdowns | 1 |
| 60 | Long | 16 |
| Carolina | Atlanta | |
| Brandon LaFell | Player | Roddy White |
| 4 | Receptions | 6 |
| 63 | Yards | 62 |
| 15.8 | Avg Yards | 10.3 |
| 0 | Touchdowns | 1 |
| 28 | Long | 14 |
| Yards | Scoring | Defense | ||||||
| Team | Tot | Rus | Pas | TD | FG | INT | Sck | FF |
| Carolina | 291 | 137 | 154 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | 2 |
| Atlanta | 352 | 99 | 253 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3.0 | 1 |
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Atlanta will play their next game at home against Green Bay.