Panthers quarterback Cam Newton may or may not be 100 percent.
But whatever portion remains is still a huge concern for Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.
Nolan said that Newton’s still dangerous even at something other than his apparent full speed, which his guys will have to account for Sunday.
“Cam’s pretty elite,” Nolan said, via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “I don’t know how elite half of Cam is. I would say it’s still elite.”
“I don’t know how hobbled he is or not. We have to take him at his full strength. He’s a big, strong, competitive athlete. That’s all we can go off of. I can’t go off of where he might be, physically. If it helps us out, great. If you go into it thinking your opponent is going to be lesser than he is, a lot of times, you don’t play very well.”
Newton has generally played well against his hometown team, but the Panthers are limping as a whole right now, having won just once in their last eight games.
But at 3-6-1, they still harbor a chance in the NFC South, making his performance against the 3-6 Falcons critical, as they chase the 4-5 Saints for the division title.
