Sunday, November 3, 2013 01:00 PM (ET)

Recap: Panthers 34, Falcons 10

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 3, 2013

Panthers 34, Falcons 10: Cam Newton passed for one touchdown and ran for another while host Carolina intercepted Matt Ryan three times to roll to its fourth straight win.

Newton threw two interceptions but finished 23-of-37 for 249 yards with a 14-yard scoring strike to tight end Greg Olsen before adding an 8-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The Panthers (5-3) limited Atlanta to 289 total yards and have held six straight opponents under 320.

Ryan was 20-of-27 for 219 yards as the Falcons (2-6) failed to move the ball in the second half. Their longest drive after the break lasted five plays, and two of Ryan's three interceptions came after the break, including one Drayton Florence returned 38 yards for a touchdown to make it 31-10.

Ryan's first pick set up Mike Tolbert's 4-yard scoring run that opened the scoring and Newton's TD pass to Olsen made it 14-3. Ryan and Tony Gonzalez hooked up for a 17-yard touchdown - the first the Panthers have allowed in the first half all season - to pull Atlanta within 14-10, but Carolina scored 20 unanswered points after halftime.

The Panthers averted a potential disaster when Brandon LaFell recovered his own fumble at the Atlanta 8, setting up Newton's touchdown run a play later to make it 24-10. Florence took Ryan's third interception to the end zone on the second play of the ensuing possession to seal it.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Gonzalez had six receptions for 81 yards and has caught a pass in 203 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in NFL history. … Atlanta had not allowed an interception-return touchdown since 2010 versus Tampa Bay, a span of 47 games. … Carolina RB Jonathan Stewart played for the first time since Nov. 26, 2012, and had 43 rushing yards on nine carries and three catches for 22 yards.

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