Rivera led the Panthers to an unprecedented third straight NFC South title and two playoff victories.
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(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File).
Both Newton and Rivera were unable to attend the event in San Francisco as they were preparing to face the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium the next day.
Since Newton wouldn’t address his actions after the game, we can only speculate as to what he was thinking, and to say social media was not pleased with his actions, is like saying Miller is slightly above average at rushing the edge. Before the season, I didn’t even give Carolina a shot to win its division because I thought the loss of No. 1 wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin would be too much to overcome. At least a couple of Broncos can’t say the same, but they won’t get almost the amount of heat, because they don’t dab, or something.
They have nine takeaways and eight sacks in the postseason. With two All-Pros at linebacker in Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, and another one with cornerback Josh Norman, the Panthers have playmakers all over. Granted, he is also larger than most every other QB in the National Football League save for Ben Roethlisberger, but he usually plays with a degree of reckless abandonment and self endangerment that separates him at a position where it is common to avoid the rough and tumble. We had our opportunities.
That’s a good plan, but executing it has proven to be a little more hard. His two fumbles were directly responsible for 14 Denver points in the 24-10 loss and at the game’s most critical moment Newton broke. To put that in perspective, no other team has a streak longer than six games.
More comfortable than ever in the pocket, Newton threw for 3,837 yards and a career-high 35 touchdowns in his fifth season.
Three Panthers players on the injury report – Davis, defensive end Jared Allen (foot) and running back Mike Tolbert (knee) – were all full participants in Friday’s practice and all officially listed as probable for the Super Bowl. Russell Wilson had just thrown an interception at the 1-yard line that sent the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl defeat.
Carolina’s passing game ranks near the bottom of the league, but that’s more a reflection of the team’s balance on offense.
“This is as good as he’s looked all year long”, Kubiak said after Thursday’s practice when Manning drilled a deep ball to Emmanuel Sanders and later hit Demaryius Thomas on a long pass. “It’s a whole mindset that the mastery of the pocket, the mastery of the data. Now I have three of these”, he said, clutching his award. Tell me what the conversation is? But I don’t have to.
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“I’m just here so I won’t get fined”, he famously said.
