ATLANTA – Cam Newton was the last of the playoff-bound Carolina Panthers still on the Georgia Dome field, progressing through the gauntlet of two-question TV hits. Yes, the 34-3 win over Atlanta was an impressive victory; yes, they were ready for the playoffs, yes, yes, yes. Smiles all around.
Halfway around the lower edges of the Dome, fans in Carolina Blue stood three and four deep, foam claws and teal hats (and the occasional turncoat Falcons fan) everywhere. They shouted “WE WANT CAM!” back and forth, threatening to overwhelm his interviews.
The last question asked and answered, Newton could have walked toward the portal at the northeast corner of the Georgia Dome, the most direct route to his locker room. Instead, Newton took off at a dead sprint … in the opposite direction.
Newton ran straight toward the fans, starting at roughly the 50-yard-line and circling the inside of the Dome, his progress slowed only when he crashed into a retaining fence and surely stopped some Carolina hearts. He slapped as many hands as he could, and then threw his towel high into the stands. There were plenty of fans still there to grab at it.

Newton has been many things to many people: the symbol of a completely broken NCAA system, the representation of how the right athlete in the right system can win a national championship, the embodiment of the spoiled pro athlete. This season, he added another version of Cam Newton to that list: the grateful survivor. Newton’s mid-December truck wreck cost him only a single game, but brought into sharp focus how well Newton has learned to play both games: the one on the field and the one beyond it.**
Now, it’s not like Newton has undergone some magical transformation and emerged a more spiritual, thoughtful being. “Maturity” is a tired measuring stick trotted out by those infuriated or intimidated by players’ loud locker room music or attitude. Even Newton's teammates don't think there's a big difference between the Cam before the accident and the Cam afterward.
"I didn't see much of a change," tight end Greg Olson said. "He was playing at a high level before, and he's at a high level now."
"He's always had a great demeanor," wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said. "You could see that back in college. That's carried over. But now he's one of those guys that everyone will follow, everyone will respond to. That's the kind of guy you want behind the center."
Behind the center, Newton is transforming from an erratic, me-first tuck-and-run quarterback to a more disciplined strategist. It may not win him a Super Bowl this year, but it should give Carolina a serious edge for at least the first round of the playoffs. After that, who knows?
Sunday’s game against Atlanta provided an object lesson in the way that Newton’s game has changed from a statistics-driven one to a results-driven one. Newton threw only 16 times – 16! – with no pass longer than 28 yards. But he methodically picked apart the Atlanta defense – this may not have been a high bar to clear, in all honesty – and targeted seven different receivers.
The threat of Newton’s arm was deadlier than the arm itself; the Falcons had to spread so wide in order to close off the myriad passing lanes that the middle of the field was wide open for Newton and running back Jonathan Stewart. Newton ran for 51 yards and a touchdown, and looked completely at ease doing so. Only the fact that the defense nailed down the game halfway through the third quarter with a couple of pick-sixes kept Newton from amassing any gaudier stats.
"The defense playing lights out like they did [Sunday] and creating turnovers makes our job easier," Newton said after the game. "We have to create great habits this time of the season where each down counts, and every point counts as well."
Carolina, now 7-8-1, opens the playoffs next weekend against 11-5 Arizona, a quirk of the schedule for which no one is apologizing. The Panthers are riding a four-game winning streak, equaling Dallas and second only to Seattle at the moment. Arizona has lost its past two and four of its past six, including a defeat at the hands of these same Atlanta Falcons. For those reasons and many more, including Newton’s clear superiority over Ryan Lindley at the quarterback position, the Panthers opened as 4.5-point favorites.
“We were here last year, and there was no reason for us not to be here this year,” Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said. “I’m not concerned with what the record is, because right now, everybody is even.”

After he’d finished his last round of interviews, Newton – who’s always the last Panther dressed, by a wide margin – walked alone through the lower hallways of the Georgia Dome. His headphones were anchored onto his head, and he didn’t so much as glance at the few people left waiting for his autograph. But then, right before he disappeared through the doors to his bus, a fan caught his eye. Newton could have kept on walking – he was two steps from the door – but he stopped and posed for several pictures.
Look, trying to claim a professional athlete has “changed” or “matured” is as ridiculous as it is pointless. One bad game, one bad decision off the field, and even “mature” athletes can fall from grace and get barbecued in the public eye. But what is certain is that right now, Cam Newton is a better on-field version of himself than he’s ever been. And that could be enough to upend the NFC playoffs.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter.
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