Live from Falcons-Panthers: Is Cam still Carolina’s man?
Cam Newton: Is the gifted quarterback the Panthers' leader or a man apart? (AP photo)
The Cam Newton backlash has begun, as if on cue. The man who was going to elevate the woebegone Carolina Panthers, similar to the way he’d lifted the Auburn Tigers on high, has been the subject of much criticism for his play and, most especially, his demeanor.
Cam takes losses hard. When you’re the team leader, you can’t take losses so hard that you depress the rest of the team. (This tends to lead, as night follows day, to more losing.) The wide receiver Steve Smith upbraided Newton on the sideline during the fourth quarter of Carolina’s awful Thursday-night loss to the Giants, and in the 10 days since that has become the talk of the Queen City.
(Side note: Charlotte is known as the Queen City. So is Cincinnati.)
About the Falcons: They’ve looked as good as any team in the league. They should win today. But Cam is capable of extraordinary things. One of his best days came in this building in December 2010. Which isn’t to say I’m picking Cam’s team to win 56-17 today. I like the Falcons by 10.
Whatever happens, I’ll be here to watch, comment and converse. I hope you’ll join me. And I thank you, as ever, in advance.
By Mark Bradley
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1,070 comments Add your comment
atlfalconsfan0125
September 30th, 2012
3:44 pm
Here we go folks.
J.J.M.
September 30th, 2012
3:44 pm
Simple WR screen….something we could do with harry douglas
Mora less Petrino
September 30th, 2012
3:44 pm
That was too easy! O-line has to step up here.
Falcons: Play 60!
September 30th, 2012
3:44 pm
ok, forget predicting …. i’m 100% certain they’ll lose this game
Lakewood
September 30th, 2012
3:44 pm
Ballgame.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
3:45 pm
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
FRAUDS…………….
HA HA
80sFalcon
September 30th, 2012
3:45 pm
Nice whiff by Robinson
phil
September 30th, 2012
3:45 pm
Bradley, move to Charlotte, then.
Good grief. We get it. You’re impressed.
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
3:45 pm
If you’re counting on Robinson to make a tackle. Well…don’t
MFranklin
September 30th, 2012
3:45 pm
Well, going unbeaten isn’t that critical… if we come away with enough shame from this showing to clean the KFC grease from our fingers so we can freakin tackle someone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ramblinwreck80
September 30th, 2012
3:45 pm
well Falcons…hope you’re happy…you are now losing in the 4th quarter…to a team you should be dominating in your OWN BUILDING!…3rd down and long and the “D” allows a TD…this is UNACCEPTABLE!!!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
3:46 pm
I feel like a woman!
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
3:46 pm
OK. Let’s see what the offense has.
Second-biggest drive of the season (so far).
atlfalconsfan0125
September 30th, 2012
3:46 pm
Down in the 4th, with the ball. Lets see if this team is for real.
80sFalcon
September 30th, 2012
3:46 pm
Gotta jam the football down their throats!
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
3:47 pm
Threw it to Julio. But Josh Norman breaks it up. Good coverage.
stizz
September 30th, 2012
3:47 pm
Yeah, Choke. We’re FRAUDS by trailing by four. You never fail to let us down.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
3:47 pm
What’s up guys………..
Wanna be my friend?
HA HA
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
3:47 pm
Ryan throws it behind Turner. Third and 10.
Crowd getting anxious.
kerryb
September 30th, 2012
3:47 pm
The dumb bell that jumped off sides pthrough that whole thing off. This team should not be moving the ball this easy. Look at the Giants game. Also, Michael Turner is running the ball down their throats, they call T.O. (which gives Turner time to get a breather) but they don’t put him back in and try to run Rodgers up the middle on 1st and 2nd down and he gets only a few yards and kills the whole drive.
ijonathan
September 30th, 2012
3:47 pm
Julilo showed NO fight for that pass
Sid
September 30th, 2012
3:47 pm
Turner must be sipping on something on the bench.
atlfalconsfan0125
September 30th, 2012
3:47 pm
Well cant win if you drop passes……
ramblinwreck80
September 30th, 2012
3:47 pm
Julio’s body language shows he’s disinterested if you ask me…
phil
September 30th, 2012
3:48 pm
Julio wakes up….
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
3:48 pm
Great play by Ryan. Buys time, hits Julio. First down at the Atlanta 50.
Little joke there.
atlfalconsfan0125
September 30th, 2012
3:48 pm
Julio!!!!
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
3:48 pm
Julio looks VERY timid
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
3:48 pm
Swing pass to Rodgers. Another first.
jo
September 30th, 2012
3:48 pm
Not scoring all those times in panther territory means a TD is needed rather than a fg. Tough the way the falcons are going.
FALCONSRUS
September 30th, 2012
3:48 pm
Did someone sayJuuuuuuuuuuuuuulllllllllllllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooooooooooo!!!
Boom!
September 30th, 2012
3:49 pm
Come on!
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
3:49 pm
Nice plays. Gotta finish the drive. Watch for negative plays.
phil
September 30th, 2012
3:49 pm
Fecemask…
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
3:49 pm
Screen to Rodgers. Flag, though.
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
3:49 pm
On Carolina. Offsides declined
80sFalcon
September 30th, 2012
3:50 pm
Feels like we might score too fast and leave too much time on the clock. Our D hasn’t stopped them today
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
3:50 pm
Facemask.
atlfalconsfan0125
September 30th, 2012
3:50 pm
There we go folks.
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
3:50 pm
Ryan sacked. That was coverage. Had nowhere to throw.
J.J.M.
September 30th, 2012
3:50 pm
Get rid of the ball ryan!
I dropped my fried twinkie
September 30th, 2012
3:50 pm
DAMN………..another sack.
phil
September 30th, 2012
3:50 pm
Ryan is killing us holding onto the ball…..
Throw it away!
Boooooooooooooo!!
kerryb
September 30th, 2012
3:50 pm
That slow piece of crap Tyson Clabo has been run over all day.
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
3:51 pm
6 sacks. Somebody PLEASE help the Falcons learn to do this!
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
3:51 pm
Julio drops the ball. Wow.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
3:51 pm
I see a PICK 6 in CHOKE’s future…………
HA HA
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
3:51 pm
VERY, VERY timid
Mora less Petrino
September 30th, 2012
3:51 pm
On what may have been Chipper’s last reguaalr season AB in Turner Field, he…..walks!
MFranklin
September 30th, 2012
3:51 pm
Just pull JJ and please find someone who can catch a ball