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Newton Shines In Game Young Panthers Needed To Win

The 2011 season has never been about the Super Bowl or even the playoffs for the Carolina Panthers. Instead, it’s a season about days like Sunday. It’s about beating a lesser team, at home. It’s about watching the rookie quarterback continue his stunning development.

The Washington Redskins aren’t very good. Their three wins this year came against: a Giants team that emerged from training camp looking more like a M.A.S.H. unit, a nail-biter over the dreadful Cardinals and an unimpressive effort against the winless Rams

 

Oh yeah, and Carolina's quarterback somehow had more starting experience than Washington's. Cam Newton’s been in the league for months. John Beck’s been around since 2007.

Star-divide

As the Panthers helped make painfully clear in 2010, there’s not many competent starting quarterbacks in the NFL. If you’re good, you’ll play. There’s a reason Beck hadn’t made a start since his rookie season.

Improvement can be marked in many different ways. For the Panthers, improvement Sunday meant pulling away to beat an inferior opponent.

 

"We needed to win," Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said. "Because of the things we’ve been placed with and how close we’ve been, it’s been excruciatingly painful at times and very frustrating"

 

"It may be that’s what we needed to get over this hump and this is our first really big step."

 

Actually, the Panthers first really big step was taking Newton with their first pick in April’s draft. The 22-year-old continued to play beyond his years with his best overall performance of the season.

 

Newton didn’t set any 400 yard-like records, but he was turnover free and remarkably efficient. He only had five incompletions for the game and none in the second half. 

 

Over the past three weeks, Newton wore scowls to his postgame media availability. Sunday, he was at his charismatic best, joyfully explaining plays like his leaping attempt at the goal line near the end of the Panthers first drive.

 

"When you’re running it, you see the goal line and a guy in front of you and you’re like what do i do? Do I run over him? Do I jump over him? And you jump. It’s just fun because you have that type of desire to win...We didn’t score, but I think it was good for the whole morale of the team."

 

While Newton’s first quarter leap fell short of the end zone, he wound up in his familiar spot early in the third quarter. But something different happened after his seventh rushing score in as many games. He eschewed his typical Superman celebration to instead give the ball to a young fan in the stands.

 

"(Panthers quarterbacks coach Mike Shula) says it’s not a celebration unless you give back," Newton explained. "After I did what ever I did, I heard someone in my headset say ‘give it to a little kid." I looked up and there was a kid gleaming from ear to ear so I gave it to him."

 

Despite their improved play at quarterback on Sunday afternoons, the Panthers haven’t been able to do too much gleaming on Sunday nights. Moral victories were becoming less meaningful every week.

 

This week, they did what a team going in the right direction is supposed to do. The improvements are legitimate and so are the feelings of hope.

 

"We needed this so bad," Panthers offensive tackle Jordan Gross said. "We had a tough stretch with a lot of great teams and we played them all tough, but this was a game we had to win."

 

 

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Nice write up…Man i am so damn happy…never felt like this last year..its nice. Fans players alike needed this one

Proud member of the Panthers Mafia!

Saving The Environment One Green Comment at a Time

'We're the little brothers getting punched in the head. Pretty soon, we're gong to learn to punch back.'" - Ron Rivera aka BAMF

by MMA_PITBULL on Oct 23, 2011 7:54 PM EDT reply actions  

Agreed

Even the wins last year were “meh” at best… Today was definitely the closest we have had to a complete game (which isn’t saying much) where you weren’t dreading the defense giving up the game at the end.

by bettergetKraken on Oct 23, 2011 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions  

Cam is so good...

he makes us forget how horrible our defense is. That is quite a feat and it is going be a pleasure to watch him play for years to come.

by TXPanther on Oct 23, 2011 8:01 PM EDT via mobile reply actions  

I'll be at the game next week

So lets hope this is the start of a winning streak!

Catches Bullets With His Teeth?

by KissMyConverse on Oct 23, 2011 8:02 PM EDT reply actions  

I'll be there as well

Bring the NOISE baby

"One step at a time"

by mcdonaldwr on Oct 23, 2011 8:08 PM EDT up reply actions  

This is the first time I'll be on the lower level...

Behind the Cat’s 13 rows up!!!

Catches Bullets With His Teeth?

by KissMyConverse on Oct 23, 2011 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions  

Nice!

I’m usually in the lower level (last row) but this week we’ve got a bigger crowd so we’ll be up top… Lower section or not I’ll be hooting and hollering my head off while the D is out there.

"One step at a time"

by mcdonaldwr on Oct 23, 2011 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions  

Good post

It was slightly bothering to me that everyone continued to make comments about how we wouldn’t be able to move the ball against this defense. Our offense is much improved and Cam Newton did a terrific job today protecting the ball and he never seemed hesitant to pull the trigger.

Next up Minnesota and All-Day……..

"One step at a time"

by mcdonaldwr on Oct 23, 2011 8:28 PM EDT reply actions  

Smitty on his play...
“As far as me being re-energized, just a spade calling a spade, I’ve been sitting on the shelf for about two years, just collecting that dust. Get the cobwebs off, throw on a little WD-40 and let me go to work." —Steve Smith

"Beer, both the cause of and solution to all of life's little problems." - Homer Simpson

by Kris Mynatt on Oct 23, 2011 8:29 PM EDT reply actions  

Like I was saying

Steve Smith has OWNED D Hall for years and today he just continued the trend. I am so happy he is here to help cam develop into a legit top 10 QB in this league. I was watching Luck play yesterday and all I could think of was how happy I was he didnt declare and we eneded up with Cam.

by Justinrl on Oct 23, 2011 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions  

mind you Luck had a great game yesterday, but Cam brings so much more to the table with his size and mobility.

by Justinrl on Oct 23, 2011 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions  

Smitty owned Wilson today, deangelo h was barely

on him today. Would have been worser with Hall on him lls.

by adam carter on Oct 23, 2011 11:25 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions  

That's because Hall has always been overrated.

He’s fast and agile, but he plays with no physicality. That only works for Neon Deon.

"Nah, you look like Elijah Wood." - danmerqury

by OldhamA on Oct 24, 2011 9:25 AM EDT up reply actions  

...

WD-40 what CAN’T it fix?!

by bettergetKraken on Oct 23, 2011 8:31 PM EDT reply actions  

reply fail...

ment to comment on Kris’ Smitty quote

by bettergetKraken on Oct 23, 2011 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions  

OH MY GOD.

I was dragged to the Renaissance Festival and didn’t get back until there was only 8 minutes in the 4th.

Listening to the game on the radio just isn’t the same.

CAM....CAAAAAAAAM

by CamNewtonSBMVP on Oct 23, 2011 9:20 PM EDT reply actions  

I got to attend this game...

SO MUCH FUN! The traffic leaving Charlotte though….not so much fun

"The way y'all are lollygaggin around here with them picks and them shovels, you'd think it was 120 degrees...can't be more than 114."

Follow me on Twitter @greg24211

by SouthernPanther on Oct 23, 2011 10:31 PM EDT reply actions  

I want to attend a Panthers game..

I hate living in California sometimes D:

"A warning; to the people, the good and the evil. This is war."

by Thaddeus_Griffin on Oct 23, 2011 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions  

i go to 2 every year

1 time with a few of my friends where we just get drunk and are rowdy, and then 1 time with my dad which we’ve made into a pretty cool tradition.

"The way y'all are lollygaggin around here with them picks and them shovels, you'd think it was 120 degrees...can't be more than 114."

Follow me on Twitter @greg24211

by SouthernPanther on Oct 23, 2011 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions  

I'll trade ya.

"Nah, you look like Elijah Wood." - danmerqury

by OldhamA on Oct 24, 2011 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions  

but what i need to know...

what is redskins #72 doing in that picture?

by usana_gaines on Oct 23, 2011 11:16 PM EDT reply actions  

dicovering the power of jordan gross's awesome invisibility cloak?

Posing for those with the benefit of flash photography? Jazz hands? We may never know

Save us Pilares

by LimeyPanther on Oct 24, 2011 7:34 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions  

Jordan gross and the deathly hallows would have made such a better film

Save us Pilares

by LimeyPanther on Oct 24, 2011 7:36 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions  

The comment for the picture is wrong

It says #26 Wilson….. It is actually #23 Deangelo hall that Cam is flying over

by jai6y6 on Oct 24, 2011 11:05 AM EDT reply actions  

It feels great getting a win after so many close chances

Cam was outstanding. His passing efficiency was very impressive. Good game all around from everyone. There are a few mistakes that need to be addressed but otherwise it was a good day in Panther Nation.

You get what you put in and people get what they deserve.

by Disciple of Carolina on Oct 24, 2011 1:38 PM EDT via mobile reply actions  

Let us enjoy the transpiring view as we watch Cam Newton change the game.

"Hope for the best plan for the worst"
"They laugh at me because I'm different, I laugh at them because they're all the same"

by Efury on Oct 24, 2011 7:45 PM EDT reply actions  

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