Falcons vs. Panthers: Cam Newton leads upset win

Over at The Falcoholic, the gut reaction was certainly a bit of pointing to the NFC South standings, where the Falcons have dominated the Panthers and the rest of the division all season.

But after getting that out of the way, the digs turned into a real appreciation for what the Panthers accomplished against a team that “wants to win.”

Winning the coin toss for the first time this season certainly seemed like a sign of things to come for the Carolina Panthers as they scored an upset victory over the Atlanta Falcons, one which Panthers fans were quick to credit to the offense and quarterback Cam Newton.

Over at Cat Scratch Reader, the reaction was somewhat muted, but it was easy to see the joy the bloggers took in breaking down the Panthers’ best win of the season.

Watch:

(H/T to Zach Klein for the video.)

The Falcons tried a late comeback, but they ultimately fell short, falling 30-20 to drop to 11-2.

Fantasy Impact: It was a very nice bounce back after White was held to just one catch for 20 yards last week. It was also his first TD since Week 6.

Unfortunately, the defense went down big early and Ryan’s efforts went for naught as the Falcons lost 30-20.

Fantasy Impact: After falling down 23-0, the Falcons gave up on the run game (only 11 rushing attempts) and simply let Ryan win the game for them. He came up short, but it was a valiant comeback effort.

The Panthers knocked off the Falcons 30-20 to hand them only their second loss of the season.

Fantasy Impact: Newton was nearly flawless in this game, showing the dual-threat ability that reminded everyone why he is considered such a special talent. It’s been a disappointing year for the second-year QB, but he’s playing strong down the stretch.

The Falcons came in at 11-1 on the season, but Newton didn’t let that stop him. Dominating the game with both his legs and his arm, Newton threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 116 yards and one touchdown. His swagger was back and it flowed through his team throughout the game.

Newton wasn’t alone. Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith had a great game as well with 109 yards receiving on seven catches as Newton got the ball to seven different receivers.

Cam Newton’s physical traits are well documented, and it doesn’t take a genius to know that a 250-pound quarterback is a formidable test, but how does it translate on Sunday?

Caught on the TV feed by Mocksession (@bubbaprog), this is a fine example of double-bird usage by a fan.

For more fantasy info, head over to the SB Nation Fantasy War Room 4-8:30 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Check out SB Nation’s own Fantasy Football game, Pick 6!

The complete inactive lists for both the Falcons and Panthers are below:

Fantasy Impact: Stewart has been one of the biggest fantasy disappointments this season and can be benched, it not dropped entirely, for the fantasy playoffs.

For more fantasy info, head over to the SB Nation Fantasy War Room 4-8:30 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Check out SB Nation’s own Fantasy Football game, Pick 6!

For Carolina, Sunday’s game is just one more step toward the end of what’s been a brutally disappointing season. The Panthers have lost three of their last four games, including an unexpected defeat at the hands of one-win Kansas City last Sunday, 27-21. Head coach Ron Rivera will likely be fired at season’s end, leaving the team to find a new coach to rebuild the roster around Cam Newton.

Sunday, Dec. 9, 1 p.m. ET

Mike Silver and Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports are joined by a panel of eight CBSSports experts picking the Falcons to beat the Panthers on Sunday.

The Falcons are a perfect 6-0 at home this season, while the Panthers are 2-4 on the road.

The total for the game is 47.5 points. The Panthers have hit that mark in six of their games, while the Falcons have combined with opponents to score at least 47.5 in just four games. Overall, Atlanta has gone over the total just four times this season, while Carolina has gone under five times and tied once. The Falcons average 26.4 points per game, while Carolina is posting 19.6. The Panthers defense is giving up 24.3 ppg, while Atlanta’s defense gives up an average of 19.1, fifth in the league.

The Falcons have won the last five times these two NFC South rivals faced off, and seven of the previous eight.