Because of his middling passing stats, many have thumbed their noses at “Cam Newton for MVP” talk, but the Panthers quarterback continues to build a case.
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Newton and the Carolina Panthers now sport the best record in the National Football League, at a flawless 10-0, according to Sports Illustrated. “I’ve always labeled myself as a pocket passer with the ability to run”.
The Panthers have become the first National Football League team to open its schedule with 10 straight wins following a losing season, doing it in a 44-16 trouncing of Washington. They also have the second best odds of winning the Super Bowl. On first down, cornerback Chris Culliver (South Carolina) broke up a pass for Greg Olsen, picked the ball out of the air and returned it 75 yards for a would-be touchdown, but Culliver was penalized for a helmet-to-helmet contact on Olsen.
As for Carolina’s defense, Luke Kuechly has been an effective leader of a defense that is allowing an average of just 322.8 yards per game.
“Between the fumbles and the picks, we had a couple short fields”. “You try to take calculated risks”. We didn’t sit on them.
Compare Moreno’s call of the touchdown to that of Thom Brennaman’s on Fox, who could not possibly seem to care less that a touchdown was just scored, and you tell me which one is preferable?
Newton’s four first-half touchdown throws were a club record.
“They’re undefeated for a reason”, Cousins said. Meantime, they also lost running back Justin Forsett with a broken arm in the first quarter.
COLTS 24, FALCONS 21: Adam Vinatieri booted a 43-yard field goal with 52 seconds remaining, and Matt Hasselbeck threw a pair of touchdown passes as Indianapolis (5-5) won in Atlanta (6-4).
Andre Roberts ran away from Carolina’s Tre Boston and Fozzy Whittaker on his 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that tied the score at 14. But that didn’t happen on Sunday as Stewart carried 21 times for 102 yards and caught a 12-yard touchdown pass. Stewart has carried the ball at least 20 times in each of Carolina’s last six games.
“It’s an honor first (to play on Thanksgiving), but before everything else we’ve got to get guys mended up”, Newton said.
More than half of Carolina’s points came off Washington’s turnovers, including quarterback Kirk Cousins’ interception and pair of lost fumbles.
If there were any nonbelievers before, this Sunday surely drowned them out. However, as the game wore on it became apparent that the Panthers were the superior team.
Gano added two more field goals against his former team and the Panthers took a safety deep in their own territory to hand Washington its only points of the second half.
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FUNCHESS IMPROVING: The Panthers are getting improved play out of rookie wide receiver Devin Funchess, who started in place of the injured Philly Brown and had four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. The NFC East tourists were rude, dirty and clueless, its players pushing and shoving and throat-slashing at the Panthers and their fans, who just laughed at them. Alfred Morris suffered a rib cage injury that forced him out of the game after rushing twice for no gain. Stud defender Darrelle Revis was burned for a 61-yard TD catch by DeAndre Hopkins that put the Texans up 10-3, then had to leave later with a concussion.
