Cam Newton drags half the population of Atlanta for a first down

ATLANTA — Love him or hate him, you cannot deny that Cam Newton is very, very good at his chosen profession.

Late in the second quarter of Carolina’s game against Atlanta, Newton was facing third-and-7 around midfield. He dropped back, saw no open options, and—as he has so often this season—decided to just handle matters his own damn self. He took off running, eluding two tacklers and then bulldogging straight into several more with no regard for his safety or sanity.

In all, it took nine Falcons—nine—to bring down Newton on a broken-play scramble, a play where he could have simply slid and no one would have thought any less of him. Should Newton win the MVP this year, and he’s certainly trending that direction, this play will be on his now very extensive highlight reel.

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