CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Atlanta Falcons could take a certain pride in how they pulled out a victory Sunday afternoon against the Carolina Panthers.

“That’s what the Atlanta Falcons do, try to capitalize in all three phases,” defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi said. “All we do is trust (in the coaches) and go out and execute.”

Matt Bryant’s fourth field goal of the game, a 44-yarder with 2:08 remaining, was enough for the Falcons in a 19-17 win at Bank of America Stadium that tied them for first place in the NFC South despite a 4-6 record.

Carolina kicker Graham Gano was wide left on a 46-yard field goal attempt with 1:22 left after the Falcons had exhausted their timeouts. Gano’s 63-yarder on the game’s last play was deflected by rookie defensive end Ra’Shede Hageman at the line of scrimmage.

“I’ve got to do a better job. I’ve got to put it through the uprights,” Gano said. “I’m sure I’ll have other opportunities.”

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton threw two touchdown passes in a three-minute span of the fourth quarter as the Panthers rallied from a 13-point deficit to take a 17-16 lead. He was sacked twice and had two interceptions.

Atlanta used a 12-play, 54-yard drive consuming 4:12 to set up the winning field goal.

“The way that the season has been going, we’re happy to have any win,” Falcons defensive tackle Corey Peters said. “I wish we could just make it easier every now and then.”

Yet it was a testament to sticking with things, much like the season that could have spiraled out of control. The Falcons didn’t trail until the fourth quarter, then discovered the answers to put it back together.

“(Coach Mike Smith) has been emphasizing on that finish part,” Atlanta tight end Levine Toilolo said. “Getting into the fourth quarter and scoring to win the game or holding the other team out. The team did a great job.”

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan completed 31 of 45 passes for 268 yards and one touchdown.

Newton threw for 292 yards, but had just 99 going into the fourth quarter. He completed 23 of 37 passes.

The Panthers took their only lead with 6:20 left when wide receiver Philly Brown, as he was falling to his back in the end zone, hauled in a 47-yard pass from Newton on the second play of a possession that covered 69 yards.

Newton’s 22-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin — his eighth this season — brought the Panthers to within 16-10 with 9:12 remaining.

The Falcons won back-to-back games for the first time. All four of their victories are against NFC South teams, including two in a row on the road.

The Panthers (3-7-1) have lost five games in a row and dropped into third place in the NFC South.

What the Falcons said:

“You can tell by the way that everyone in the locker room is walking around. It’s all about confidence going into each week. It’s really all mental. … I feel like we’ll be good going into next week.” — Offensive tackle Jake Matthews on the Falcons, who moved into a first-place tie in the NFC South and own a two-game winning streak for the first time this year.

What the Panthers said:

“We’ve been given every opportunity to stay in the chase. We just have to capitalize.” — Safety Thomas DeCoud, who played against his former team in Carolina’s latest loss, yet the three-win Panthers remain only a game out of first place in the NFC South.

What we learned about the Falcons:

1. The team is relatively unimpressed with its status as the leader in the NFC South with a 4-6 record. The good thing for Atlanta is that it has played well in divisional games, going 4-0 so far in those outings. The only clear path to the playoffs, though, is to win more games. “We have to be 1-0 next week,” wide receiver Harry Douglas said. “That’s the goal. That’s the plan. We’re not getting too high.”

2. The defense is starting to show some heart more often and that might be one of the biggest indicators of a potential turnaround. The Falcons have played with more of an edge in recent games, and quite a bit of emotion was on display in the game against Carolina. The Falcons held the Panthers to 106 rushing yards, allowing Atlanta to be aggressive in some other areas.

–WR Roddy White had a team-high 75 receiving yards against Carolina, allowing him to eclipse 10,000 career receiving yards. White, a 10-year pro, scored his 60th career touchdown in the third quarter, putting him one behind Michael Turner for the most in franchise history. QB Matt Ryan threw in White’s direction more than any other player. “(White) has made a huge impact on my own career, so couldn’t be happier for him” Ryan said. “Now he has to go get to 11,000.”

–WR Devin Hester had an eventful third quarter against Carolina, becoming involved in a skirmish during which he was penalized 15 yards. A couple of plays later, his fumble resulted in a turnover. It also came with another price for Hester, who suffered a wrist injury on the play.

–DT Jonathan Babineaux left the Carolina game briefly with a knee injury, but he returned to the field and his presence was significant at times in a persistent defensive effort. He was credited with three tackles, including one that went for a loss of yardage.

What we learned about the Panthers:

1. The Panthers have plenty of energy, but they don’t always display that until they end up in desperate situations. That’s something that needs to be addressed, according to players throughout the locker room. The sense of urgency might be what the team needs. “I was asking myself, ‘Come on, I know I’m better than I’m playing,'” quarterback Cam Newton said. “Like Coach (Ron Rivera) says, when you play good enough, you play good enough to get beat, too.”

2. The Panthers might need to return to the near-dominating level of defense that they had when the won the NFC South last season in order to make a legitimate run at repeating. The offense isn’t nearly consistent enough and despite some of the star power on that unit (quarterback Cam Newton, wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, tight end Greg Olsen), it’s the defense that has been the foundation for this team. That unit hasn’t come close to being at the 2013 level, even though linebacker Luke Kuechly remains one of the NFL’s top players. Forcing more turnovers would be one area where the defense could put its imprint on the outcome of games.

–QB Cam Newton appeared to be the target of boos at times in the loss to Atlanta, marking a significant change from the adoration that he often receives from Carolina fans. Newton has insisted that he has to play better. He had only 99 passing yards through three quarters against Atlanta. Newton is an Atlanta native and he had won his past three starts against the Falcons.

–RB DeAngelo Williams’ injury-riddled seasons tends to take various turns. He was back as the go-to running back in the game against Atlanta. He had half of the carries among running backs, picking up 41 yards on 10 attempts. The Panthers would look for him to be more productive as an option in the passing attack.

–DT Star Lotulelei missed the game with an ankle injury. It was a nasty-looking sequence that caused him to exit the Nov. 10 game at Philadelphia, but test showed that it might not be all that severe. With a week off, the Panthers are hoping he’ll be back for the Nov. 30 game at Minnesota.