Panthers vs. Falcons: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Regular Season

The Carolina Panthers' run at an undefeated regular season is officially over.

Thanks to a gritty defensive effort and one epic play, the Atlanta Falcons emerged from Sunday's Week 16 clash against their previously perfect NFC South rivals with a 20-13 victory at the Georgia Dome.

Fox Sports referenced the only NFL team to complete a perfect season:

It was going to take something special to topple the 14-0 Panthers. The home team got just that, as wide receiver Julio Jones provided a game-breaking play when Atlanta needed it.

With just over two minutes left in the third quarter, Jones dusted safety Kurt Coleman and leaped above Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly before dashing into the end zone for a 70-yard touchdown on a 3rd-and-13 bomb from quarterback Matt Ryan.

NFL.com provided the highlight of Jones' phenomenal grab at the 35-second mark, which put the Panthers' pursuit of perfection in serious jeopardy:

ESPN Stats & Info's anecdote illustrated just how massive Jones' play was:

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton made it appear as though it'd be business as usual for Carolina in the early going.  

Newton led an 11-play march down the field to start the game, and he capped the drive with an eight-yard scamper into the end zone to break new ground in the record book, per Randall Liu, the director of NFC football communications:

Will Brinson of CBSSports.com observed how lethal Newton is near paydirt:

But aided by a personal foul penalty on Panthers cornerback Charles Tillman, Atlanta responded with a touchdown drive, and running back Devonta Freeman scored from four yards out.

The game remained tied until the 5:26 mark of the third quarter, when Carolina went up 10-7 on Graham Gano's 33-yard field goal.

Then Jones' long score changed everything. The superstar wideout wound up with 178 yards on nine receptions, further cementing his case as the best at his position.

When it appeared as though the hosts were closing in on a monumental score in the fourth quarter, Panthers cornerback Josh Norman recovered an errant Falcons snap, which led to a field goal that cut Carolina's deficit to 14-13.

A wild sequence closed the afternoon. Shayne Graham kicked a 37-yard field goal with 2:28 remaining, and the Atlanta defense forced Newton and Co. to turn the ball over on downs 40 seconds later. But the Falcons could not pick up a first down because of penalties and had to settle for a 54-yard boot by Graham and a 20-13 lead.

Former NFL star Joe Theismann was critical of Atlanta's late-game management:

Newton had a chance to go 80 yards for the tying touchdown but was stripped by rookie defensive end Vic Beasley Jr. Adrian Clayborn recovered the fumble to seal the victory.

Atlanta had to win to keep its dim playoff hopes alive and in doing so denied Carolina immortality.

The win may be just what the Falcons need ahead of their regular-season finale against the visiting New Orleans Saints.

Not only did this defeat cost the Panthers a shot at a 16-0 season, but it also prevented them from locking up the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff race. The Arizona Cardinals are still alive for that berth if they win out, so head coach Ron Rivera's team must bounce back quickly as it prepares to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Postgame Reaction

Rivera said Carolina didn't play to the level it had all season and needed to move forward.

"We didn't coach to our abilities, we didn't play to our abilities. But give them credit," Rivera said, per Panthers.com's Max Henson. Rivera added, "This is part of the journey. We have to refocus. But we've accomplished a lot. Let's not lose sight of that."

The highly anticipated matchup between Jones and Norman went the former's way. Meanwhile, Atlanta cornerback Robert Alford referred to how well he and Desmond Truant played on the outside for the victors:

"This was a measuring-stick game. Complete team win," Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said, per Andrew Hirsh of the team's website.

Quinn also said, per Hirsh, that Jones' touchdown was "way up there" among the best he'd ever seen.

That assessment doesn't seem hyperbolic considering the magnitude of the Ryan-to-Jones connection.