Cam Newton carries Carolina Panthers offense with arms and feet

By Cory Buck | Oct 13, 2014

Oct 12, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) scores a touchdown during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals and the Panthers tie in overtime 37-37. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

A throbbing ankle was little more than a sign of progress for Cam Newton, who led the Carolina Panthers on offense as much with his legs as he did with his arm in a 37-37 tie against the Cincinnati Bengals. After being hampered for most of 2013 and the start of 2014, Newton’s injured ankle was finally healthy enough for the team to rely on Newton as a runner as well. That much came in the nick of time as Newton rushed for over 100 yards in the team’s shootout tie.

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Not only did Newton lead the Panthers with 284 passing yards and two passing touchdowns, but he led the team in rushing with 107 yards on 17 attempts with another touchdown on foot. He was everything to the Panthers on a day when running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams were unavailable to play.

Even as the Bengals knew who to shut down on the Panthers, they were unable to do so as repeated read option plays yielded big yardage gains for Newton and the Panthers.

“They were obviously read plays,” Newton said per the Charlotte Observer, “but dictated upon what the defense gives you, it’s on the quarterback to pull it. So when you pull it, time and time again you keep getting numerous yards, you have to keep calling it.”

In his fourth year, Newton hardly has to explain himself anymore. He’s a dual-threat quarterback who can turn a game upside down when healthy. Now if the Panthers defense can keep up, this team could get plenty dangerous once again, and for entirely different reasons than they had when the Panthers went 12-4 in 2013.

“When I was running, people were saying, ‘Well, don’t you think you’re running too much?’ ” Newton said. “But now in the situation today, I was doing whatever coach asked. It was there for me to take.”

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