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
phil
September 30th, 2012
4:04 pm
Well….
I guess we see today, in all candor, that the AFC west is awful.
Carolina is average but so are we.
The Giants are super bowl material again, as are the niners and probably GB.
It is what it is….we’re the same avg bunch. Oh well. Now we know and we can quit being hopeful.
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:04 pm
Confession: I’m always swayed by road teams who play tough. That’s not easy in any sport, and especially not this one
stizz
September 30th, 2012
4:04 pm
Carolina is still leagues below us if we lose this game. We played the game with basically two receivers.
Jay DUbu
September 30th, 2012
4:04 pm
Couple of misplays on the Falcons last drive attempt. Jones has to get both feet in, and Matt can’t get pushed out of bounds on the 3rd down and lose additional yards. He has to get rid of the ball there.
O’Line has to give him better blocking on several plays.
Peadawg
September 30th, 2012
4:04 pm
Everyone that’s saying this is Matt Ryan’s fault…I didn’t know he played defense also.
Boom!
September 30th, 2012
4:05 pm
That’s it! They quit.
MFranklin
September 30th, 2012
4:05 pm
phil… I hate to be like this but, would you please stop by hell and ask for a keg of ice water? Thanks.
jo
September 30th, 2012
4:05 pm
Now we have to hope to lose only by 1 because The D already did their job and stooped them. Then, the O didn’t show. We cant seem to stop cam again.
Maxwell the free-range chihuahua
September 30th, 2012
4:05 pm
carolina beats the falcants…braves you know lose the play-in game…sc dumps the dawgs…losing truly is “the georgia way”…
steve
September 30th, 2012
4:05 pm
The line is half the problem, 3 of the sacks of been on him, just like the interception, he took points off the board. You cannot throw a pick in the endzone when you guaranteed points already.
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:06 pm
DeAngelo Williams for four to the 50. Timeout with 1:55. One TO remaining
root4au
September 30th, 2012
4:06 pm
Falcons OL and defense looks back to the way they usually play..
Boom!
September 30th, 2012
4:06 pm
Our offensive line has forgot how to play.
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
4:06 pm
Put more guys in box Please!
Roger
September 30th, 2012
4:06 pm
Matt Ryan has not looked like garbage today…..he has played a solid game….normally when you get sacked the number of times he has , you get blown out…he has been fine, not spectacular…this falls on the o line
phil
September 30th, 2012
4:06 pm
We saw it with GA yesterday…..
Not nearly what we hoped or thought.
Jay Dubu
September 30th, 2012
4:06 pm
THe Falcons can not allow tha Panthers to come into the Georgia Dome, and beat them. Especially after the way they played on THurday against the iants. They looked like a High School team against the Giants.
Jcatl
September 30th, 2012
4:06 pm
Offensive line is weak against good teams, worse than last year it looks like.
Offensive play calling in the fourth quarter was weak and only meant to avoid a loss. Our defense is not good enough to go conservative.
Gman 84
September 30th, 2012
4:06 pm
Start the day by wearing throwback unis celebrating a past of failure
End the day by losing a home game to a division opponent.
Bad, bad loss
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
4:06 pm
steve
September 30th, 2012
4:02 pm
No way Ryan is ready to take a step as an elite QB, he is the reason we are loosing this game. You cannot hold on to the ball as long as he has been.
__________________________________________
Preach on brotha…………
HA HA
ijonathan
September 30th, 2012
4:07 pm
Cam keeping the ball on third down.
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:07 pm
DeAngelo Williams for four more. Timeout, 1:51 left. If the Panthers just run it, they can take the clock down to a minute even if they have to kick it away
phil
September 30th, 2012
4:07 pm
Pitiful.
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
4:07 pm
Great stats for our offense, should’ve been good enough, but our defense has been exposed..again.
sack man
September 30th, 2012
4:07 pm
just like old times
kerryb
September 30th, 2012
4:07 pm
I hate losing to this team more than any other in the league because of Steve Smith and Cam Newton. A couple of punks.
Mr West
September 30th, 2012
4:07 pm
But, didn’t anyone tell Carolina they had no chance against the mighty Falcons????
jo
September 30th, 2012
4:07 pm
Today’s loss is pinned on lack of O line and a few odd drops. The D wasn’t brilliant but it was adequate to win this game.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
4:08 pm
Well my work is done here……….
HA HA
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:08 pm
Cam Newton runs it. And loses it?
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:08 pm
No. It’s the Panthers’ ball. But is it still a first?
phil
September 30th, 2012
4:08 pm
Wow…..sigh
Jcatl
September 30th, 2012
4:09 pm
How can our offensive line still be this bad?
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
4:09 pm
Arthur is pissed off…………
72 million for this?
HA HA
chokeins
September 30th, 2012
4:09 pm
Lack of talent, no playmakers
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:10 pm
No first down. It’s fourth and short. Fumble may have cost the Panthers this one
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
4:10 pm
If I’m the Panther’s I go for this. We cannot stop them.
phil
September 30th, 2012
4:10 pm
Sneak upcoming…..
It’s over.
ijonathan
September 30th, 2012
4:10 pm
I suck….
Pretenders….
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:10 pm
Fourth and inches. Carolina should run the clock down to a minute, then call time.
DawgNole
September 30th, 2012
4:11 pm
ANOTHER unlucky bounce.
Pip
September 30th, 2012
4:11 pm
No brainer. Go for it. Falcons can’t prevent them from picking up a yard.
jerry
September 30th, 2012
4:11 pm
No way they punt.
Sid
September 30th, 2012
4:11 pm
GMAN 84….everytime they wear those old unis I get a headache.
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:11 pm
Play is reviewed.
JSS
September 30th, 2012
4:11 pm
@ phil…
You might hate Newton, but this is as well as he has played…
phil
September 30th, 2012
4:12 pm
We’ve been a step slow most of the day….
Another opportunity lost.
Happens when you’re all hung over….
Idiots.
CGD..
September 30th, 2012
4:12 pm
Choke you were right bout this QB and this squad…
Todd Grantham
September 30th, 2012
4:12 pm
Mark, afraid this one has slipped away
chokeins
September 30th, 2012
4:12 pm
I’d go for it, sad sacks can’t stop them