Cam Newton said he lives for pressure-packed moments.
But so far the Panthers seventh-year quarterback has been mediocre in the postseason http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/josh-jacobs-jersey , something he hopes to improve upon when the Panthers visit the Saints on Sunday in the NFC playoffs.
Newton is 3-3 all-time in the postseason, with his last playoff game culminating in an emotionally devastating 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
Outside of a riveting performance in a 49-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals in the 2015 NFC championship game, Newton’s statistics in the postseason have been average. He has completed just 59.7 percent of his passes for eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s run for only two TDs, both of those coming in the playoff rout of the Cardinals.
”This is when the real football starts,” Newton said after Wednesday’s practice. ”This is where you’re made or you’re broke – and I look forward to these moments because it brings out the best in the individual because there is so much pressure. And we all know pressure does one of two things. We’re hoping to shine like diamonds on Sunday.”
The Saints (11-5) have already defeated Carolina (11-5) twice this season, including a 31-21 victory on Dec. 3.
But that doesn’t bother the NFL’s 2015 league MVP, who is expecting to bounce back from the worst statistical game of his game of his career in a 22-10 loss last Sunday at Atlanta.
His quarterback rating of 31.5 in a 22-10 loss to the Falcons was the worst of his 109 career starts. He misfired on his first nine passes and had three second half interceptions. Yet he believes the problems in that game are easily fixable and the Panthers can rebound and rediscover the mojo that helped them win seven of eight games before the Falcons fiasco.
”It just wasn’t clicking,” Newton said. ”And it was internal. So self-inflicted things and that’s never good for you. … Protecting the football is important and I have to do a way better job of doing that.”
This isn’t first time the Panthers have battled adversity, which isn’t lost on the former Heisman Trophy winner who won a national championship at Auburn.
Even Panthers coach Ron Rivera referred to this as a ”tumultuous” season.
The Panthers endured the off-field distractions from get go with the firing of general manager Dave Gettleman on the eve of training camp. That was followed by the midseason trade of No. 1 wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, the negative feedback from Newton’s sexist comments to a female reporter and the alleged sexual and racial misconduct surrounding team owner Jerry Richardson, who now plans to sell the team.
And that doesn’t even include the injuries which kept three-time Pro Bowl tight Greg Olsen and two-time All-Pro center Ryan Kalil out of most of the season.
Newton said the Panthers have learned to ”weather the storm,” which has brought them closer together as a team.
Carolina’s wide receiving corps remains a muddled mess and the Panthers still don’t appear to have a defined role for rookie running back Christian McCaffrey. But Olsen will play against the Saints for the first time this year giving Newton more options, and running back Jonathan Stewart (back stiffness) and guard Trai Turner (concussion) are expected back from injuries this week.
But the reality is the Panthers will only go as far as Newton can take them in the postseason.
Not only is he the Panthers’ leading passer, he’s also their leading rusher.
”We get Cam Newton playing fast, we’re a dangerous offense Ben Banogu Jersey ,” Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula said.
”We’ve got to keep Cam from trying to run all over the field, try to make him be more of a pocket passer,” said Saints defensive tackle Tyeler Davison.
Saints defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins said the Saints have been able to throw Newton off the last two games by disguising coverages and giving him multiple looks. Newton has two TD passes and three interceptions in two games against the Saints which the Panthers have lost by a combined margin of 65-34.
”Not allowing him to get a bead on where the coverage is rolling down to, who’s coming, who’s not, different stunts up front,” Rankins said. ”If you can always keep Cam on his toes, it definitely gives you the best chance to win.”
Rivera said he expects Newton to play well.
”He’s a guy that tends to bounce back after a tough outing,” Rivera said. ”We had a tough outing. He’s going to prepare, be ready. We, as a football team, will prepare and be ready.”
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AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.
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NEW ORLEANS (AP)Drew Brees started listing the mistakes the Saints made against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There were two lost fumbles, one on Alvin Kamara’s run and another on Willie Snead’s muffed punt. Wil Lutz missed a 43-yard field goal and had an extra point blocked. Brees missed a deep throw to Ted Ginn when the speedy receiver was behind the Bucs’ defense. The Saints’ kickoff return unit also botched a trick play . In the NFL, teams generally need to be playing well to overcome all that. New Orleans overcame it to the tune of a 30-10 rout. ”By no means was it perfect out there,” Brees said. ”I felt like we had some opportunities to score” more points. The Saints (6-2) are now riding a six-game winning streak Parris Campbell Jersey , longer than any streak they had during their last playoff season in 2013, and their longest since 2011. Four of the victories have been by two touchdowns or more. None was closer than eight points. Against Tampa Bay, the Saints made their share of big plays. There was Kamara’s serpentine, 33-yard touchdown on a screen pass and Ginn’s 36-yard score on a pass over the middle. Undrafted rookie Justin Hardee scored New Orleans’ first TD when he blocked a punt and recovered it on the run. Defensively, the Saints continued to look like world beaters in what has been a stunning turnaround from New Orleans’ 0-2 start, during which the same unit gave up 1,025 yards and 65 points. ”We started out being one of the youngest defenses in the league,” said defensive end Cameron Jordan, who had 1 1/2 sacks against Tampa Bay. ”I could not be prouder of our defense and the way that they are playing.” The Bucs (2-6) lost their fifth straight, and their frustration boiled over during a scuffle that involved quarterback Jameis Winston and receiver Mike Evans. Winston, who lasted only a half while playing with a shoulder injury, instigated the third-quarter dust-up when left the sideline and pushed his finger into the back of rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore’s helmet. Lattimore shoved back and then Evans decked Lattimore from behind, drawing an unnecessary roughness flag. Evans berated himself for being childish and malicious. Winston, whose playing status for next week is uncertain, acknowledged that he’s not dealing well with the disappointment of a season that began with a lot of promise after the Bucks narrowly missed the playoffs a year ago. ”I hate losing. I hate losing. I hate losing Bobby Okereke Jersey ,” Winston said. ”It’s something that we are going to have to handle internally, but we are going to handle it.” Some other things to know about New Orleans’ victory over Tampa Bay: RARE TURNAROUND: The Saints are only the third team in the Super Bowl era to follow an 0-2 start with six straight victories. The other two teams that did that – 1993 Dallas Cowboys and 2007 New York Giants – both won Super Bowls. PASSING DOWNTURN: Tampa Bay arrived in New Orleans with the NFL’s second-ranked passing game, but managed only 113 yards through the air against a Saints secondary featuring rookies Lattimore and safety Marcus Williams, along with and second-year cornerback Ken Crawley and second-year safety Vonn Bell. Evans and receiver DeSean Jackson combined for three catches for 38 yards. Winston and backup Ryan Fitzpatrick each were sacked twice. O.J. Howard fumbled after a short reception. BREES’ HOUSE: Brees’ two touchdown passes gave him 225 in his career in the Superdome. That’s the most in NFL history by a quarterback in the same stadium. He completed 22 of 27 passes (81.5 percent) for 263 yards with no interceptions. HARD YARDS: Tampa Bay also struggled to run, finishing with 87 yards on 25 rushing attempts. Doug Martin had 7 yards on eight carries. Fitzpatrick’s 30 yards on three scrambles made him the Bucs’ second-leading rusher behind Peyton Barber, who had 34 yards on 11 rushes. BIG BOUNCE: Hardee was a receiver at Illinois, and felt like one again as he located the rebound of his punt block, watched it into his hands and waltzed into the end zone for his first career touchdown. The timing could not have been much better. His father and aunt were at their second Saints game, and first in the Superdome. ”A true blessing, but it don’t stop here,” Hardee said. ”I’m hungry. I want more.” —
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30.10.2019 08:21
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