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
J.J.M.
September 30th, 2012
4:12 pm
Panthers should fake go for it and draw falcons offsides…punt if they dont
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
4:12 pm
Arthur, you’ve to fork out bucks for some guys who know how to play physical football. The Niners look awesome. And I HATE the Niners!
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:12 pm
If it’s short, I’d go for it.
ijonathan
September 30th, 2012
4:13 pm
Alert: identity stealer on the loose…
phil
September 30th, 2012
4:13 pm
Yes, he has done well.
The spot is a good yard short.
J.J.M.
September 30th, 2012
4:13 pm
How did abraham not grab the ball
me
September 30th, 2012
4:13 pm
So much for the “great” officiating. They moved the ball up 1 yard from where the ball was recovered. What idiot official is claiming the ball was fumbled forward. Review should fix it. But it just shows the officiating is no different now than it was 1 week ago.
JSS
September 30th, 2012
4:13 pm
He hit his own man’s thigh pad
Pip
September 30th, 2012
4:13 pm
JJM is right. The way the Falcons are playing today, they’d bite on the hard count and go offsides.
ijonathan
September 30th, 2012
4:13 pm
I’m the biggest azz wipe around
phil
September 30th, 2012
4:13 pm
Bradley loves the panthers…..
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:13 pm
You’ve got Cam Newton. If he can’t get two inches, you don’t deserve it.
ramblinwreck80
September 30th, 2012
4:13 pm
football gods are against the Falcons part II…”D” can’t recover a “gift” fumble by Cam the Sham…
atlfalconsfan0125
September 30th, 2012
4:14 pm
id go for it if i was them
phil
September 30th, 2012
4:14 pm
Exactly on the spot….
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:14 pm
But now it’s a full yard. I would … still go
chokeins
September 30th, 2012
4:14 pm
500 team if that, Falcons are just an average team. No champions in loser city
Sid
September 30th, 2012
4:14 pm
remember last year and the Bucs drew them offsides?
CGD..
September 30th, 2012
4:15 pm
Big play here!!!
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:15 pm
Not going. Taking a delay.
Falcons will win
phil
September 30th, 2012
4:15 pm
Tense…..
Jay Dubu
September 30th, 2012
4:15 pm
Why was Jerry (94) standing there looking to see who recovered the ball and not diving into the pile to try get the ball?!!!!
me
September 30th, 2012
4:16 pm
Where was the penalty on Newton for head bobbing. That is specifically not allowed in the rules. So much for the great officiating.
sonofadog
September 30th, 2012
4:16 pm
How loud is the dome Mark?
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
4:16 pm
What was that between Smith & Blank?
Maxwell the free-range chihuahua
September 30th, 2012
4:16 pm
jerry is the modern day aundray bruce…
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:16 pm
Falcons get it at the 1
Fifty-nine seconds and no timeout
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
4:16 pm
Smith asking Blank for coaching pointers……….what a joke….
HA HA
Jay Dubu
September 30th, 2012
4:16 pm
That’s a touchback!!!
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
4:16 pm
That knee was on the line
phil
September 30th, 2012
4:16 pm
Whew….for now.
Todd Grantham
September 30th, 2012
4:17 pm
If Carolina loses that punt will be forever second guessed
CGD..
September 30th, 2012
4:17 pm
That look from look Mr. Blank to his Coach in Headlights was priceless!
Its ova!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A wrap!!!
0-4
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:17 pm
White. Catch. Falcons almost in field-goal range
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
4:17 pm
Roddey!!!!!
sonofadog
September 30th, 2012
4:17 pm
WOW!
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:17 pm
Some fling by Ryan. Some catch by White. Went over Nakamura
ramblinwreck80
September 30th, 2012
4:18 pm
football gods are against the Falcons today part III…punt gets downed at the 1 yd line…SHEESH!!!
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
4:18 pm
Why don’t teams spike the ball anymore? 10 secs wasted!
Jay Dubu
September 30th, 2012
4:18 pm
If Matty could have put it out there a little further, White could have ran into the endzone.
Pip
September 30th, 2012
4:18 pm
S**t. What a throw!!
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:18 pm
P.I. against Julio. At the 35. Nineteen seconds. In range
MenVsBoys
September 30th, 2012
4:18 pm
Ran through Julio. Didn’t need to.
sonofadog
September 30th, 2012
4:18 pm
Bad call!
Jay Dubu
September 30th, 2012
4:18 pm
O’Line still can’t muster up any mojo to block for Matty.
CGD..
September 30th, 2012
4:19 pm
nice throw and catch.
jo
September 30th, 2012
4:19 pm
Need 10 more yds
sonofadog
September 30th, 2012
4:19 pm
I take that back, good call
Mark Bradley
September 30th, 2012
4:19 pm
Gonzalez to the 28.
trademark
September 30th, 2012
4:19 pm
Unbelievable. Three straight weeks without these NO Trolls showing up, and the second they think they smell something, here they come. What? Did you really think Atlanta was going 16-0? I can tell you one thing, though, I look forward to the TONS of silence we’re going to get this year from you sacks while Atlanta piles up wins and NO goes down the toilet where they belong.
Losers.