Panthers vs. Falcons 2014 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online

Even the worst division in the NFL must crown a champion. The NFC South will do exactly that when the Carolina Panthers take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

The Panthers have endured perhaps the strangest season of any team still alive in the playoff hunt. Starting quarterback Cam Newton missed the first game of the year with sore ribs and later missed more time after being involved in a car wreck. Yet somehow, Carolina won its games without him. What it struggled to do was win in the month of November. From Week 7 to Week 13, the Panthers managed to lose six straight games, and that was after a tie in Week 6. Their season seemed over until an unexpected three-game winning streak forced them back into the division race.

Like Carolina, the Falcons suffered a similar midseason dip. They went the entire month of October without winning a game, enduring painful losses to the New York Giants and Detroit Lions. Atlanta lost a bevy of offensive linemen during that stretch. At one point, the Falcons started a tight end at offensive tackle due to the lack of healthy linemen. Their fortunes changed after their Week 9 bye, however. Atlanta went undefeated against the rest of their division and even shocked the then-NFC leading Arizona Cardinals 29-18.

Through it all, Matt Ryan has played some of his best football. The quarterback already has more than 4,400 yards through the air and is completing north of 66 percent of his passes. He needs four touchdowns to tie his career best (32). To achieve it, he'll need help from top receiver Julio Jones. Despite missing time this season, Jones has amassed 1,535 receiving yards and a league-best 30 plays of 20 or more yards.