FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons coach Mike Smith had to pause to think about the last time he had to prepare a defense for the option.
“It’s been a while,” Smith said.
When the Falcons play Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Georgia Dome, they expect to see him on the perimeter with an option to pitch the ball to a running back.
Last week against New Orleans, Newton faked a handoff to fullback Jerome Felton to the right, spun around to run, but was met by a Saints linebacker. He then pitched the ball to Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams, who scored on a 69-yard run.
“That’s part of their offense,” Smith said. “In terms of what they’re doing, they have multiple packages. We’ve got to make sure that we are sound because the quarterback is a ballcarrier.”
It’s part of the attack that Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski put together for the former Auburn star from Westlake High.
Chudzinski, formerly an assistant in San Diego and Cleveland, has mixed in parts of those pro offenses and sprinkled in some of Auburn’s attack that Newton ran to help the Tigers win a national championship and the Heisman Trophy last season.
“The option-read is a play that their quarterback is familiar with,” Smith said. “It’s been a challenge this week in terms of our preparation because it’s something that you don’t normally see and it’s very hard to simulate.”
Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who’s second on team with 54 tackles, studied the Panthers’ option plays.
“It’s been explosive so far,” Weatherspoon said. “They do a good job of using him as an athlete, putting him on the perimeter and letting him run.”
Newton wouldn’t reveal if the option is in the Panthers’ game plan for this NFC South matchup.
“You just have to stay tuned,” he said Wednesday during a teleconference.
Despite the Panthers’ 1-4 record, Newton’s transition has gone rather smoothly.
“I have the opportunity to run the pro-style offense in each and every practice, each and every day. I’m going to try to run it to the best of my ability,” Newton said.
“They get so caught up in what [I] ran at the collegiate level. Yeah, it brings out a lot of good points, but at the same time you have so much time to work on your craft in the NFL.
“If you are trying to be the greatest at what you do, why wouldn’t you work at it? That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
Newton is passing for 311.6 yards per game and has thrown seven touchdown passes and six interceptions.
While Newton has shown that he’s a solid passer, the Falcons are concerned about his ability to run, especially inside the 20-yard line. He leads the Panthers with five rushing touchdowns.
“He keeps the ball a lot in the red zone,” Weatherspoon said. “He pitches the ball as well. ... We definitely have to be ready for that.”
Newton is 6-foot-5, 244 pounds and could be a load on the outside in one-on-one situations with the Falcons’ cornerbacks.
“Cam Newton, I think he’s got me by 80 pounds,” said Brent Grimes, who caused Green Bay’s Ryan Grant to fumble with a hard tackle Sunday. “I guess, I’m going to have to go low.”
When Newton is not running, he’s launching deep passes to Steve Smith, who has an NFC-leading 609 yards receiving and three touchdowns. If Smith isn’t open, Newton leans heavily on tight ends Jeremy Shockey (14 catches, 199 yards) and Greg Olsen (20 catches, 240 yards and three touchdowns).
“He’s very comfortable in their offense,” said middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, who leads the Falcons with 58 tackles. “He’s made some incredible throws that rookies can’t make or don’t try to make.”
The Falcons have been impressed with what they’ve seen of Newton on film.
“I think that he just brought his swagger that he had in college into the NFL,” defensive end Ray Edwards said. “He’s not letting it get to him that he’s playing against older and veteran guys in the league. He’s continued to play with that confidence.”
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