Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers: Tale of the tape

The quarterbacks

This game will feature two top quarterbacks, although one has surpassed expectations this year, and the other has fallen well below. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Ryan is the man struggling, but we will come onto him in a moment.

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First, let’s look at Cam Newton. Newton isn’t a flashy player and he won’t blow up the stat sheets week in week out, but his leadership of the Panthers offense and ability to just make plays is incredible. You can say what you want about his dancing and his attitude, but the fact is he is a quarterback playing at an MVP level.

Ryan is struggling in a big way. In the first year with a new offensive system, he has turned the ball over for fun and now has 13 interceptions on the year. For comparison, he only threw 14 all of last year and is on course to go way above that number this term.

The exact reason for his struggles is hard to know. Is it the system? It could be. He is said to have been overwhelmed by the playbook, and it’s possible Matty Ice is just out of sync with his receivers as he still adjusts to a new system.

Whatever it may be, Ryan will need to be flawless against one of the best defenses in football.

Next: The offenses