"Atlanta did a nice job trying to take Steve Smith away from the Panthers, bracketing him with two or three defenders on most pass plays. Smith ended up with five catches for 66 yards - a good day for most receivers, but very modest for him this season. Not coincidentally, the Panthers didn't have an offensive play of 30 yards or longer.

Atlanta games draw more celebrities than Carolina games do. I rode up on an elevator in the Georgia Dome Sunday with Deion Sanders on my right and movie star Vince Vaughn ("Old School," "Wedding Crashers") on my left. Then I rode down after the game in another crowded elevator that included comedian Billy Crystal."