Bryce Young accounts for 5 TDs as Panthers beat Falcons 44-38 in OT. Atlanta misses playoffs again

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers have more in common than frustrating streaks of seven consecutive losing seasons.

Each NFC South team believes Sunday's regular-season finale provided evidence it has found the quarterback who will deliver long-awaited playoff glory.

Just not this season.

Bryce Young passed for three touchdowns, ran for two scores and led a 70-yard drive capped by Miles Sanders' 1-yard TD run on the opening possession of overtime to give Carolina a 44-38 win over Atlanta.

The Falcons' playoff hopes had already ended minutes earlier when Tampa Bay rallied past New Orleans.

The loss capped a crushing downfall for Atlanta, which led the division at 6-3 before a decline under first-year coach Raheem Morris. The Falcons (8-9) gave up 537 yards to Young and the Panthers, leaving the usually upbeat Morris with bitter feelings.

''I was really fired up about the direction we were going,'' Morris said of the team's strong start to the season. ''We took a step back today, a huge step.''

Rookie Michael Penix Jr. capped his late-season, three-game introduction as Atlanta's starting quarterback by passing for 312 yards and two touchdowns — both to Drake London, who had 10 catches for a career-high 187 yards. Penix also ran for a touchdown.

Bijan Robinson ran for 170 yards and two scores, but the impressive offensive performance wasn't enough to extend the Falcons' season.

The Falcons and Panthers (5-12) each made their last playoff appearance in the 2017 season.

Atlanta needed a win and a loss by NFC South-leading Tampa Bay to give the Falcons the division title. The Falcons entered the day one game behind the Buccaneers but would have won a tiebreaker because they swept their rivals.

Tampa Bay closed out the Saints 27-19 as the Falcons were getting ready to kick off to start overtime.

''The main message all week was we come out here and win this game and whatever happens in the other game, you know, we can't control that,'' Penix said. ''So we just had to come out here and, you know, dominate and get this win and we fell short of that.''

Penix said he was not following the Buccaneers-Saints game while on the field, even though the outcome was crucial to the Falcons' hopes.

Young's five touchdowns, including scoring runs of 2 and 10 yards, set a career high. His three scoring passes matched a career best as he completed 25 of 34 passes for 251 yards.

''Everyone understood, you know, we were playing for ourselves,'' Young said, adding that coach Dave Canales ''talked about finish all week. This is such a great opportunity for us to go and prove what we can do.''

Young, the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick who was benched earlier this season, now looks like the team's long-term answer at quarterback.

''Bryce is our quarterback,'' Canales said. ''I'm so proud of the way that he just took the challenge and he just grew every week.''

Penix went 21 of 38 and was intercepted once.

''When you have a quarterback like that, you're cooking with gas,'' Morris said.

But the coach's tone changed when the topic shifted to Atlanta's defense.

''We just were not good enough across the board defensively,'' Morris said. ''I felt like today we couldn't turn the corner on defense. ... Today is a really disappointing day to end it with that bad taste in my mouth.''

Falcons fans cheered in the second quarter and again at halftime as they saw updates on the video board showing the Saints leading the Buccaneers. But as the Panthers gained momentum in Atlanta, the Bucs took command of their game and the division.

Young's third touchdown pass, a 9-yarder to David Moore, gave the Panthers a 31-24 lead late in the third quarter. Penix answered with a 21-yard scoring pass to London in the fourth.

''He's a stud, you know, he's an accurate passer,'' Canales said of Penix. ''He threw it down the field, hit some really explosive plays. He's got arm talent. He's got the right demeanor, you know, the right finish. And I'm looking forward to a lot of great battles against him.''

Carolina again took the lead on Young's 10-yard scoring run with 4:01 remaining in regulation.

Penix led the Falcons 70 yards on 11 plays, capped by Robinson's 4-yard run for the tying touchdown with 46 seconds left in regulation.

Sanders makes strong return

After placing leading rusher Chuba Hubbard on injured reserve on Dec. 28 with a strained calf, the Panthers activated Sanders (ankle) from injured reserve. Sanders rushed for 61 yards and the decisive touchdown and had three catches for 50 yards — including a 33-yard TD — in his first game since Nov. 10.

''I'm just happy that I was out there to showcase what I'm capable of and why I should not be on the ... side,'' Sanders said.

Injuries

Panthers: CB Akayleb Evans (rib) and DE A'Shawn Robinson (calf) were ruled out with second-quarter injuries. ... The defense had two starters inactive: Pro Bowl CB Jaycee Horn (hip) and LB Josey Jewell (concussion).

Falcons: CB Mike Hughes left with a shoulder injury in the second quarter after being checked for a head injury and cleared in the first quarter. ... WR Darnell Mooney (shoulder) was inactive, leaving him with 992 receiving yards. LB JD Bertrand (eye) and CB Kevin King (concussion) also were inactive.

Up next

Panthers: Carolina turns its focus to offseason personnel decisions and the NFL draft as the Panthers try to end their streak of seven straight losing seasons.

Falcons: Atlanta will plan for next season with Penix while making a decision on former starter Kirk Cousins' future.

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