CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Despite a number of issues both on and off the field, the 3-2 Panthers are alone atop the disappointing NFC South. How they do in their next five games could make or break their attempt to earn consecutive playoff trips for the time in franchise history.

The Panthers’ brutal upcoming schedule pits them against five teams that made the postseason last year, starting with Sunday’s trip to Cincinnati.

The Bengals were the last unbeaten team remaining until they were blown out 43-17 at New England Sunday night.

“Yes, (the Bengals) were a playoff team. We’ve played playoff teams before,” head coach Ron Rivera said, a day after the Panthers rallied from 14 points down to beat the Bears. “We’ve got to be able to handle who we’re playing, and get after who were playing. Take that one game at a time approach.”

And while clichés are often boring and somewhat useless, the few Rivera spit out Monday seemed relevant. If you look ahead to this stretch against the Bengals, Packers, Seahawks, Saints and Eagles, you can easily find some scary numbers.

Carolina’s upcoming opponents have a combined 14-8 record. If Seattle beats Washington on Monday night, four of the teams will have at least a share of a division lead. And all five offenses rank in the top 13 of points scored.

So yeah, it is probably better just to focus on Cincinnati right now.

“This is the next most-important game we play because it’s the next one we play,” Rivera said, repeating his much-used mantra. “What I talk to these guys about is this game. If you get ahead of yourself, you forget who you’re playing.”

NOTES, QUOTES

–A week after former Carolina receiver Steve Smith burned the Panthers for two touchdowns, former Bears tight end Greg Olsen scored twice, including a game-winning 6-yard catch with 2:18 to go.

“It was very similar to the touchdown we scored against Tampa Bay,” Olsen said. “We felt good about it all week and (offensive coordinator Mike Shula) did a great job dialing it up at the right time. We needed a touchdown there. I think everyone didn’t feel great about settling for another field goal. (Shula) played aggressive and we got a big touchdown out of it.”

Olsen, who also scored on a 14-yard reception seconds before halftime, finished with a team-high six catches and 72 yards against the team that drafted him in 2007 and then traded him four years later.

“I’ve said all week; this wasn’t about me. This wasn’t about me versus the Bears. That was a long time ago,” Olsen said. “This was not a revenge. This was not about me trying to prove to them that they made it mistake. That’s not how I operate. Every game, I try to play as well as I can.”

–The Panthers snapped a three-game losing streak to the Bears. It was the first win for Ron Rivera over the team he played for and used to coach.

“It’s like a family member. You always want to beat the family member when you are being competitive,” Rivera said.

–The Panthers won their seventh straight game decided by seven or fewer points.

–The Panthers allowed the Bears to convert just one of their six third downs in the second half. Chicago was 4-for-7 in the first half.

REPORT CARD VS. BEARS

PASSING OFFENSE: B — Quarterback Cam Newton had a season-low passer rating (84.8), but that number was affected by drops and an interception that came off a tipped pass. The interception was the first thrown by the Panthers this year. Tight end Greg Olsen caught touchdowns near the end of each half. Receiver Kelvin Benjamin had his worst game as a pro, catching just three of his 11 targets.

RUSHING OFFENSE: D-plus — With DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert out with injuries, Carolina’s backfield was made up of undrafted rookie Darrin Reaves and Chris Ogbonnaya, who spent Week 4 watching games at home. Reaves had a team-high 11 carries, but he didn’t have much room to run for more than the 35 yards he gained. Ogbonnaya scored just the second rushing touchdown of his career. Fozzy Whittaker was active, but he was held out to rest his sore quad. Newton had a season-high six carries for just nine yards.

PASS DEFENSE: B-minus — Bears quarterback Jay Cutler had just eight incompletions on 36 attempts, but one-third of those throws were tosses to running back Matt Forte. Cutler helped Chicago capitalize on Panthers’ turnovers with two first-half touchdowns, but he also threw a couple interceptions, including some fourth-quarter air mail to safety Thomas DeCoud. The Panthers, who had just one sack the last two weeks, brought Cutler down four times.

RUSH DEFENSE: B — After allowing the Steelers and Ravens to combine for nearly 400 rushing yards, the Panthers held the Bears to just 85. Chicago rushed only eight times for 26 yards in the second half. Making the Bears one-dimensional was the biggest key to the Panthers’ takeaways and sacks in the final two quarters.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B — A heads-up play by rookie Philly Brown gave the Panthers their first punt return touchdown in 11 seasons. But Brown nearly gave away another punt, and he was shaky on a couple of other catches. Graham Gano made his only field goal. Brad Nortman didn’t have his best day, but he did uncork a 62-yard punt.

COACHING: B-plus — Head coach Ron Rivera beat the Bears for the first time in three tries. While Chicago shot itself in the foot too often, Rivera deserves credit for not allowing his team to fold coming off two blowout losses and down 21-7 in the second quarter. Offensive coordinator Mike Shula helped kick start his unit with a mix of no-huddle plays. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott was able to scale back blitzes once the Bears became one-dimensional.