Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, the No. 1 player selected in the 2011 NFL draft, had a passer rating of 44.6 in the Week 6 game against the Falcons. It was his lowest rated game of the season.
He passed for 237 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.
Newton, the Heisman Trophy winner who led Auburn to the national title last season, has revived what was the league’s worst offense last season.
The Panthers rank fifth in yards per game (397.6). They have the fifth-ranked rushing attack (137.6) and are in the top eight in passing yards (260), first downs (22.1, seventh) and scoring offense (24.2, eighth).
With Newton at the controls, the Panthers are explosive. They lead the league with 72 plays of 20 yards or more. The Falcons held them to three such plays in their previous meeting.
Newton has 100 carries for 518 yards rushing and has completed 251 of 413 passes (60.8 percent) for 3,297 yards and 13 touchdowns with 14 interceptions.
“I think that he’s developed more patience and understanding of what he has to do when he gets certain things from certain defenses,” Carolina coach Ron Rivera said. “He’s improved an awful lot and continues to grow with in the scheme.”
