A week after the Panthers lost a heartbreaker to the worst team in the league, they controlled the game with the league’s best from the outset. Carolina beat the Falcons 30-20 in a game where the bad blood flowed from start to finish.
Offense: A
What sophomore slump? QB Cam Newton’s play over the last month and a half make him a candidate to renew acquaintances with his Pro Bowl friends. Newton passed for 287 yards and ran for a career-high 116, including a spectacular 72-yard touchdown run. WR Steve Smith had a 109-yard day, and DeAngelo Williams had a combined 112 rushing and receiving yards, including a 53-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass that put the game out of reach. Previous game's grade: A
Defense: B
Newton ran for twice as many yards on his touchdown run as Atlanta managed for the game. The Falcons finished with 35 yards rushing. The defense pitched a shutout in the first half and made big plays at the end to hold off QB Matt Ryan and his 342 passing yards. A one-armed sack by DE Greg Hardy set up a fourth-down interception by LB Thomas Davis, who earned the game ball from coach Ron Rivera. Previous game's grade: F
Special teams: C+
The new faces on special teams led to a clean game from that unit. Armond Smith averaged 18 yards on three kick returns and Graham Gano hit on all three of his first-half field-goal attempts. The Panthers avoided penalties and missed tackles. Special teams didn’t win the game, but they also didn’t lose it. Previous game's grade: C+
Coaching: B-
The team came out with momentum, scoring on the first five drives of the game, including an impressive game-opening march down the field. The Panthers controlled the ball in the first half and didn’t lose a game that could have tightened up late. Carolina wasted timeouts in both halves with personnel and playcalling issues, but overall, a much better performance from the braintrust. Previous game's grade: C-
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Carolina Panthers from blogger Shawn Krest, follow @CBSPanthers.
