(My Sportsbook) - All week leading up to Sunday's huge divisional showdown with the Atlanta Falcons, the Carolina Panthers had to hear about the past. The Falcons had dominated their NFC South rival over the previous five years, emerging victorious in nine of the 10 meetings during that span. Moreover, Atlanta's Michael Vick had helped build his superstar status on a number of dazzling performances against Carolina, whom he had never lost to in five career starts.

The Panthers finally broke the spell on Sunday, as Carolina's fearsome defense kept the elusive Vick in the pocket and continuously pressured and confused the playmaking quarterback throughout the afternoon to earn a decisive 24-6 win in front of a playoff-like atmosphere at Bank of America Stadium.

The result wasn't overly surprising, considering Atlanta's lone win over the last four weeks came at the hands of the dysfunctional Detroit Lions, but the way the Panthers did it was somewhat of a shock.

Atlanta entered the game with the NFL's top ground attack, while Carolina ranked just 26th overall running the ball and were averaging a league-worst 3.0 yards per carry. But when the final whistle sounded, the Panthers put up a season-best 142 rushing yards, compared to 120 for the Falcons.

Certainly Carolina's formidable run defense was partly responsible for that advantage, but the main reason came from the super effort by Panthers running back DeShaun Foster.

Foster, who had taken a back seat to the struggling Stephen Davis for most of this season, racked up 131 yards on 24 rushes to become the first Carolina back to eclipse the 100-yard barrier in 2005.

He set the tone of the day with a punishing, highlight-reel 30-yard burst in the first quarter and later finished off that drive with an 18-yard touchdown catch that gave the Panthers a 7-3 lead. Foster added a key 27-yard reception on a 3rd-and-long play early in the fourth quarter that set up a field goal to extended Carolina's advantage to 17-6.

"DeShaun Foster had an incredible day," said Panthers center Jeff Mitchell. "He was extra special."

Carolina's validity as a major player in the NFC race had begun to come into question after the team's sluggish play in a 13-3 loss at Chicago two weeks ago followed by a narrow victory in Buffalo in which the offense again struggled. Now that the Panthers are beginning to achieve some balance on that side of the ball to compliment their excellent defense, visions of a Super Bowl may be again dancing in the heads of Carolina fans this holiday season.

THE DEFENSE DOESN'T REST

Foster may have been the individual star of Sunday's win, but the Panthers' defense certainly did its part as well. Atlanta was held without a touchdown for the first time all season and reached the red zone just once, and that came in the opening quarter. Carolina held the Falcons to 259 total yards, just 139 of which came through the air, and made life miserable for Vick all day. He completed only 17-of-35 passes for 171 yards, was intercepted twice and sacked five times.

The performance of the unit kept up the high standards the Panthers have been setting over the last six weeks. Carolina hasn't allowed more than 14 points in a game since mid-October and has recorded 28 sacks over its last seven contests.

THERE'S A DRAFT IN HERE

Chris Draft started his second straight game at middle linebacker in place of the injured Dan Morgan, who is still hobbled by a sprained ankle suffered in the Chicago loss on November 20. Facing the team he had spent the previous five seasons with, the veteran played a strong game, recording eight tackles and a sack of Vick.

Draft started all 16 games for Atlanta in 2003 and compiled a career-best 124 tackles, then made 13 starts on last season's Falcons squad that reached the NFC Championship game. However, Atlanta released him in April after signing free agent Edgerton Hartwell to a lucrative contract, and Draft joined the Panthers a few weeks later.

"(The Falcons) had talked about me, saying I wasn't running well last year," said Draft after the game. "I was hurt last year and now I'm not. That is what I look like when I'm healthy."

ODDS AND ENDS

Carolina's current 9-3 record is the franchise's best mark ever after 12 games. The Panthers were 8-4 at this point during their Super Bowl run of 2003, as well as in 1996.

Defensive end Mike Rucker left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter with an ankle sprain and is termed day-to-day. Rucker had one sack against the Falcons to extend his team-leading total to 8 1/2.

The Panthers are now 28-6 in head coach John Fox's four seasons when they score 20 or more points, including an 8-2 mark this year.

SOUTHERN SHOWDOWN

Carolina has an opportunity to further distance itself from the rest of the pack in the NFC South when the Panthers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this coming Sunday. The surprising Bucs remain right on the heels of division- leading Carolina, but a Panthers win would give them a commanding two-game lead with three weeks to play. On the flip side, a Tampa Bay victory could create a major logjam in the South race, especially if Atlanta defeats lowly New Orleans this week. That scenario would create a three-way tie for first place.

The Panthers appear to have the edge, as Carolina has won its last five games at Bank of America Stadium and handily disposed of the Bucs by a 34-14 score in Tampa back in Week 9.