CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina’s formula was straightforward and relentlessly effective: lean on the run, stay on schedule, and make Atlanta earn every yard. The Panthers did all three Sunday, beating the Falcons 21-0 to improve to 13-0 and extend their winning streak to 13 games.

The numbers show how thoroughly Carolina controlled the terms. The Panthers gained 214 yards on 44 carries, compared with Atlanta’s 15 yards on 10 attempts. That ground-game advantage helped Carolina convert 8 of 14 third downs and score touchdowns on all three of its red-zone visits. Atlanta managed just 2 conversions on 12 third downs and never reached the end zone.

Carolina opened the scoring late in the first quarter when Larry Medina turned a second-and-9 from the Atlanta 10 into a 10-yard touchdown run. An apparent early interception of John Snapp came with an Atlanta offsides penalty; Carolina finished without a credited interception against it. Medina led the rushing attack with 106 yards and a score, while Kenneth Pitts added 82 yards as the Panthers kept the Falcons’ defense responsible for stopping the run throughout the afternoon.

Snapp complemented that ground production with efficient passing: 22 completions on 30 attempts for 171 yards and two touchdowns, without an interception. With 1:21 remaining in the first half, he found tight end Major Horn for a 14-yard score, pushing the lead to 14-0. Horn’s second touchdown came in the third quarter, a four-yard catch after he worked free of coverage. He finished with 78 receiving yards, and Carolina’s lead grew to 21-0.

The Panthers also avoided letting a brief ball-security scare change the game’s shape. Medina fumbled after a one-yard loss early in the second quarter but recovered the ball himself. Atlanta’s defense forced that fumble, but Carolina retained possession.

On the other side, Carolina’s defense turned Atlanta’s limited rushing threat into a difficult down-and-distance problem. The Panthers recorded four sacks, including two by outside linebacker Amos Malone, and kept the Falcons out of the red zone. Atlanta’s best listed scoring opportunity came in the fourth quarter, but Ryan Edwards missed a 44-yard field goal wide right.

The shutout adds another emphatic result to a season already defined by consistency. Carolina has clinched the division; Atlanta, now 3-10, is eliminated. For Dwayne Cabrera’s Panthers, this was a complete performance built on run-game leverage, third-down execution and a defense that never gave the visitors a foothold.