The Panthers have been giving up points (29 per game) and yards (394.8 per game) at an alarming rate over the past six games. And they've been victimized by both the run and the pass. Two weeks ago they surrendered 301 yards on the ground to the Giants before yielding 386 passing yards to Drew Brees on Sunday.

But Fox attributes that to the Panthers playing a tough schedule against five teams ranking in the top eight in the league in offense - New Orleans (1st), Denver (2nd), Atlanta (6th), N.Y. Giants (7th) Green Bay (8th) - and another that ranks 14th (Tampa Bay).

"When you come down the stretch with five games to finish the season -- at Green Bay, which is no box of chocolates, Monday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Bucs, the No. 2 offense in the NFL in Denver and you've got to go to the New York Giants, the defending world champions, and then you've got to go on the road and win, which hasn't been done this season in our (division) and you go 4-1, I 'm not concerned with much."

--Fox said he spoke with Jerry Richardson, who did not make the trip to New Orleans, after the game but wouldn't elaborate on what the team's owner told him, although it clearly tickled Fox.

"I think he was very excited and very proud," Fox said. "I think it meant a lot to him because he knew it meant a lot to us, but he seemed in very good spirits. He said, well, I can't say exactly what he said. I'll leave it as that it was amusing."

--Fox was a little upset near the end of Sunday's game because the officials stopped the clock at six seconds instead of seven on the team's final timeout. He wanted to do that in case the Panthers were called for a holding penalty on their first attempt.

"I don't want to get too much into strategy, but typically, when you're behind, we'd like to have extra time in case there is a holding penalty or something," Fox said. "When the game is tied, we view it a little bit differently. That's about as much as I feel comfortable mentioning."

Some fans were wondering why there wasn't a 10-second runoff after Jordan Gross was flagged for a false start penalty before John Kasay's game-winning field goal. That's because it was a dead ball foul, which does not require a 10-second runoff.

--Sure, it's a little early to be thinking about next season, but the Panthers now know their 2009 opponents.

Along with their regular home-and-away division games against Atlanta, New Orleans and Tampa Bay, the Panthers will host Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo, Miami and Minnesota, and play on the road against Dallas, the New York Giants, New York Jets, New England and Arizona.

Of the teams they're scheduled to play, only the Bills (7-9) had a losing record in 2008.

BY THE NUMBERS: 1996 -- The last time the Panthers had a first-round bye in the playoffs.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I just think they're both really good. I'm not much into all that. I didn't know they were officially out there as that. 'Double Trouble?' Hopefully it remains that way." - Coach John Fox on running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart changing their nickname from "Smash and Dash" to "Double Trouble."