Falcons vs. Panthers 2013, Week 9: Cam Newton, Carolina rumble past Atlanta

Newton credits his maturation to his “deflators,” a role played by his father and oldest brother. It’s a title of gratitude given to two people that help bring him back down to earth when his head is “getting full of helium,” as Newton calls it. One of their jobs this offseason was to sit him down and show him why he’s perceived as selfish.

Understanding how the world perceives him was the first step in noticing the problem and becoming a better teammate. The Panthers quarterback talked about his inconsistency and how he was often aloof. Newton said the rest of the organization needed to play a guessing game. “I get it now,” Newton said, “It’s not about one week getting there 30 minutes early with donuts, then not being around the next week.” He also better understood why his method was often off base, “My intentions were good. I never once wanted to portray a guy who was nonchalant about anything but winning, but the way I came off was too aggressive.”

Fox reporter: “Did you just say Cam loves the kids?”

Newton: “Camy Cam loves the kids.”

Newton entered Sunday’s game on a three-game streak of turnover-free play, completing 77 percent of his passes and leading the team to a 3-0 record. Against the Falcons he was far from perfect, throwing two interceptions and posting a 68.4 passer rating, but the support of his teammates allowed the offense to shine. Receivers made big catches when they counted, and an eight-yard touchdown run by Newton sealed the Panthers’ victory.

The Falcons simply didn’t have enough weapons to remain in a shootout, especially with Matt Ryan’s suspect decision-making. He threw three interceptions on Sunday, including a pick-six that helped seal the victory for Carolina. Injuries made the game difficult to overcome, but poor passing made it impossible, especially on a day where Atlanta could have remained in the game as they intercepted Newton twice and ran the ball successfully.

Unless Atlanta is able to pull off a stunning comeback they will remain firmly in third place in the NFC South. Ryan will have some soul searching to do, as his struggles can’t solely be blamed on a lack of weapons. The Falcons quarterback is forcing passes and not playing the conservative, reliable football he’s been known for.

• NFL Week 9 updates and highlights | Live scores | Chat with SB Nation’s experts

Running the ball hasn’t gone well for Newton on Sunday. In the past he’s had some of his biggest ground games against the Falcons defense, but on Sunday he has carried the ball twice for no gain. Atlanta is doing a good job of bringing a lot of pressure in blitz packages and the Panthers offensive line has been unable to deal with the rushers.

Carolina holds a narrow lead and will receive the ball first in the second half, but needs to settle down on offense and re-assert its ground game after leaving the door wide open for Atlanta.

Samuel remained down on the field for some time before walking to the sideline and eventually the locker room. It’s hard to draw too many conclusions from him leaving the field given there was just one minute remaining in the half. Sunday’s game will be considerably more difficult without Samuel, as the Falcons are trying to get past a tough divisional foe while dealing with a host of injuries.

• NFL Week 9 updates and highlights | Live scores | Chat with SB Nation’s experts

Mike Tolbert of the Panthers put the Panthers up 7-0 on the Falcons with a running touchdown, then taunted the visiting team with their signature “Dirty Bird” dance:

He didn’t do a great job. In terms of taunting Dirty Birds, Frank Gore did a much better job. The master of the dance, former star Falcons running back/Dirty Bird master Jamal Anderson tweeted his disapproval:

White was listed as questionable for the game against Carolina with hamstring and ankle injuries, and was on the field with the team on Friday after missing practice both Wednesday and Thursday. The veteran receiver told reporters he expected to be a game-time decision, yet this latest report states that unless there’s significant improvement in his health, White won’t be able to play.

The Falcons and Panthers kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Fox.

Game Date/Time and Location: 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.

TV schedule and distribution map: Fox; The506.com

These missteps are something the Panthers are familiar with. Atlanta holds a 5-1 head-to-head record in the last three years, including three wins over Carolina since Newton was drafted. Conservative football will rule the day, and the Falcons will need to lean on their potent passing offense to knock off one the hottest teams in the NFC.

The result is clear on the field, but more importantly the sideline. Gone is the oft-criticized towel, replaced with a smile and relaxed attitude. Players have good reason to be having fun on Sundays after three-straight wins by an average of 19 points, while boasting one of the NFL’s best defenses. The offense is less robotic than in past years; players have the freedom to excel in their roles rather than being forced to fit a rubric.

For more betting details on this game, head over to OddsShark.

• NFL power rankings: Broncos back on top

The Panthers are listed as 7.5-point favorites against the Falcons. For CBS Sports’ panel of eight, that spread is too large for two of its members. However, in a straight up scenario, the entire eight-man panel picked Carolina to beat the Falcons. The Yahoo! Sports panel of two also gave the Panthers a clean sweep in a straight up pick.

The SB Nation six-man panel voted 5-1 in favor of the Panthers.

Stewart has missed 14 games over the last two seasons and has not rushed for more than 770 yards in a season since 2009.

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• NFL power rankings: Broncos back on top

Ryan was intercepted four times during Atlanta’s 27-13 loss to Arizona on Sunday and shockingly enough, that performance was better than his effort against the Cardinals last season. He threw a career-high five interceptions against Arizona in 2012, giving him a 1:9 touchdown to interception ratio spanning his last two games against Arizona. He’s never thrown more than three interceptions against any other opponent.

What have the Cardinals done to turn Ryan into an interception machine? Here are two reasons for Arizona’s success.