Why did Muhsin Muhammad leave Carolina for Chicago a few years ago? Oh yeah, money. Well he’s back in Carolina now and the Panthers couldn’t be more thrilled. Muhammad torched the Falcons for eight receptions, 147 yards and a touchdown as the Panthers rolled to a 24-9 victory.

The Panthers lost both of their offensive tackles during the game, but Atlanta still couldn’t get any pass rush. Jake Delhomme (20 of 29, 294 yards, 2 TDs) had all day to throw and while the running game wasn’t dominant by any means, it was good enough to keep Carolina balanced offensively. And the job the defense did against the Falcons’ rushing attack, which led the NFL coming into the game, was impressive. The Panthers’ front seven has been outstanding against top backs LaDainian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson and Michael Turner so far this year.

As for the Falcons, they’re just a different team on the road than they are at home. And while that might be the case for most teams, it’s incredibly accurate for Atlanta, who can’t run (Turner had just 56 yards), play defense (Carolina racked up over 400 yards of offense) or get the ball in the end zone (three field goals, no touchdowns) on the road. And I have no idea why offensive coordinator Mike Murlarkey and the Falcons’ coaching staff abandoned the no-huddle offense after it worked so well early in the first half. Rookie Matt Ryan looked comfortable running the hurry up and Carolina’s defense was back on their heels, yet Mularkey ditched the approach until after the game was out of reach in the fourth. (Writer’s note: Head coach Mike Smith said in his post game press conference that the one series the Falcons used the no-huddle was scripted out before hand. Therefore, they weren’t comfortable allowing Ryan to run the no-huddle after that unscripted.)

The Panthers (3-1) are now cruising in the NFC South and they didn’t even play as well as they’re capable of today. With how well Delhomme and the defense is playing, Carolina looks like a legitimate contender in the NFC.