Falcons 45, Panthers 28: Welcome to the NFL, Harry Douglas

The Panthers have seen enough of the Falcons to know that they're more than a fluke.

And they surely came into Sunday knowing they'd have to figure out a way to slow down tailback Michael Turner and outstanding rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, and their offensive line would have to be on top of its game to handle John Abraham.

But there is no way that they could have known about Harry Douglas.

Douglas came into the game with eight catches, a couple of OK punt returns (he'd just replaced Adam Jennings in the role four games ago) and an occasional reverse. But even if Turner scored four TDs to make all of his fantasy owners happy, it was Douglas who beat the Panthers.

Early in the game, with the Falcons in an empty backfield set, Douglas took a handoff from a slot receiver position and scored against the surprised Panthers defense. Then in the third quarter, Douglas snagged a short pass, dodged a defensive back and went 69 yards to set up Turner's third touchdown. And to put the game away, Douglas returned the Panthers' punt 61 yards for another touchdown. Three plays, a massive impact and no way that the Panthers saw it coming.

Thanks to Douglas' surprising Sunday, Atlanta is still in the thick of the NFC South race (especially since they have a game against the Bucs still on the schedule), and the Panthers amazing record despite less than amazing stats may be starting to fizzle.

But they also have a game with the Bucs still on the schedule. Tampa Bay clearly controls its own fate, while the Falcons and Panthers need a little help, but for all the talk about the strength of the NFC East, the NFC South is going to have the most fascinating playoff race over the next month.