With 436 yarrds rushing in 74 carries this season, Newton has become only the fourth quarterback to surpass 4,000 yards rushing. "As long as I keep giving those guys confidence and I keep putting the team in the best position with the designed quarterback runs, I just have to protect myself and get as much yardage as possible," Newton said.
Newton contends he's always willing to run as much as he is called upon but that his goal is to execute the play calls he's given by his coaches. "In my book and in my eyes, just like any playmaker or any person who wants the ball in their hands, I feel like I can do it every single play," Newton said. Newton says he doesn't care about his numbers but is happy to be making plays that have helped see the Panthers' rushing game improve. After becoming the first quarterback to lead his team in rushing in four straight games since 2006, he had 95 yards that included the second-longest run of his career (69 yards) in Carolina's last game. "When he gets rolling, a lot of things happen off of that energy," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said of Newton.Īnd in the last five games, Newton has himself perked up the rushing attack. Instead, Newton has helped spark a turnaround in what had been a struggling running game entering Sunday's 1 p.m.
Those same critics seemed vindicated when Newton's rushing totals dropped significantly last year as the Panthers' record fell to 6-10 after going 15-1 and advancing to the 2016 Super Bowl.Īnd when Newton had to undergo shoulder surgery in March, some assumed the rushing game that had been so much a part of his success would be a thing of the past. That has continued over the course of his seven-year NFL career with the Carolina Panthers. CHARLOTTE – Ever since Cam Newton broke onto the national stage at Auburn during his Heisman-trophy, national championship-winning season of 2010, some have criticized how his running ability led to his team's success.
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