The Carolina Panthers and Ron Rivera have agreed upon a three-year contract extension.

Rivera's deal now lasts through the 2017 season.

The Panthers won 11 of their final 12 regular season games to finish with a 12-4 record and a first round bye.

"The improvement of our team has been reflected in the progress of the record over the last three seasons under Ron and we look forward to building upon that foundation," Panthers owner Jerry Richardson said in a prepared statement.

The Panthers came off a 2-14 season when Rivera replaced John Fox.

The Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers had the most productive seasons from their rookie class in the NFL.

Tyrann Mathieu became a key part of the Cardinals' secondary, while Andre Ellington was a playmaker on offense.

Larry Warford and LaAdrian Waddle improved the Lions' offensive line.

The Panthers' defense was rounded out by Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short.

The Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots received the least amount of production.

The NFL's four Divisional Round playoff games averaged 34.3 million viewers.

Sunday's coverage on CBS of the Denver Broncos' win over the San Diego Chargers pulled 41.2 million, followed by the San Francisco 49ers' victory over the Carolina Panthers at 33.3 million viewers.

On Saturday, the New England Patriots defeat of the Indianapolis Colts drew 31.7 million viewers and the Seattle Seahawks' win over the New Orleans Saints drew 31.1 million.

The numbers are down slightly from the Wild Card weekend in which 35 million viewers was the average. The Divisional Round games were not as close, which is the likely cause for the drop in ratings.

The Carolina Panthers lost to the San Francisco 49ers 23-10 in a game in which Cam Newton and the offense was shut down in the second half.

"When you put two great football teams on the field at the same time, there are going to be a couple things that stick out and are the difference-makers," Newton said, per the team's official website. "We had a great game plan, but as players we have to be better.

"I'm not pointing anybody out, but we have to play smart football, we have to execute, we have to accept the task at hand and make the most of it," he said. "Playoff football is a different speed than regular season. I learned that firsthand today. You have to seize the moment when the moment allows."

Panthers safety Mike Mitchell, who earlier this season called out the NFL for making him a target for fines, on Sunday called out the officials for missing several calls in a playoff loss to the 49ers.

"I can't wait to play them [again] with a new set of refs in a new game," Mitchell said of the 49ers, who advanced to the NFC Championship Game.

Colin Kaepernick did his best Cam Newton impression during Sunday's playoff game, mocking the Panthers quarterback's "Superman" TD pose.

After scoring on a 4-yard scramble that gave the 49ers a 20-10 lead in the third quarter, Kaepernick pretended to pull his jersey apart from the middle of his chest, clearly imitating Newton's preferred celebration.

Colin Kaepernick threw for one touchdown and ran for another score as the 49ers defeated the Panthers 23-10 on Sunday to advance to the NFC title game for the third straight season.

Kaepernick completed 15 of 28 passes for 196 yards in the divisional playoff win, avenging his worst statistical performance of the season two months ago against the Panthers.

The AP released its 2013 All-Pro team on Friday, which is determined by 50 AP voters.

Offense

Quarterback: Peyton Manning, Denver. No second team quarterback.

Running backs: LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia; Jamaal Charles, Kansas City  Second team: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota; Eddie Lacy, Green Bay 

Fullback: Mike Tolbert, Carolina. Second team: Marcel Reese, Oakland.

Tight End: Jimmy Graham, New Orleans. Second team: Vernon Davis, San Francisco.

Wide receivers: Calvin Johnson, Detroit; Josh Gordon, Cleveland. Second team: A.J. Green, Cincinnati; Demaryius Thomas, Denver and Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh. 

Tackles: Joe Thomas, Cleveland; Jason Peters, Philadelphia. Second team: Tyron Smith, Dallas; Joe Staley, San Francisco. 

Guards: Louis Vasquez, Denver; Evan Mathis, Philadelphia. Second team: Jahri Evans, New Orleans; Logan Mankins, New England, and Josh Sitton, Green Bay. 

Center: Ryan Kalil, Carolina. Second team: Alex Mack, Cleveland.

Defense

Defensive end: J.J. Watt, Houston; Robert Quinn, St. Louis. Second team: Mario Williams, Buffalo; Greg Hardy, Carolina. 

Defensive tackle: Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay; Ndamukong Suh, Detroit. Second team: Dontari Poe, Kansas City; Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets, Jurrell Casey, Tennessee and Justin Smith, San Francisco. 

Outside linebackers: Robert Mathis, Indianapolis; Lavonte David, Tampa Bay. Second team: Tamba Hali, Kansas City; Ahmad Brooks, San Francisco. 

Inside linebackers: Luke Kuechly, Carolina; NaVorro Bowman, San Francisco. Second team: Vontaze Burfict, Cincinnati; Karlos Dansby, Arizona. 

Cornerbacks: Richard Sherman, Seattle; Patrick Peterson, Arizona. Second team: Aqib Talib, New England; Joe Haden, Cleveland and Alterraun Verner, Tennessee. 

Safeties: Earl Thomas, Seattle; Eric Berry, Kansas City. Second team: Eric Weddle, San Diego; Kam Chancellor, Seattle, Jairus Byrd, Buffalo, T.J. Ward, Cleveland, Devin McCourty, New England and Antrel Rolle, New York Giants. 

Special teams

Punter: Johnny Hekker, St. Louis. Second team: Brandon Fields, Miami.

Placekicker: Justin Tucker, Baltimore. Second team: Matt Prater, Denver.

Kick Returner: Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota. Second team: Dexter McCluster, Kansas City.