Cam Newton stars as Panthers beat Lions to go to 4-1

In a matchup of two teams heading into Week 5 with 3-1 records, Cam Newton threw three touchdown passes as the Carolina Panthers went into Ford Field and came away with a road victory on Sunday.

Most of the talk around the Carolina Panthers this week focused on the comments that quarterback Cam Newton made to a female reporter. On Sunday, he let his play do the talking, as he went into Detroit and shredded the Lions defense.

He finally looks healthy, and with a solid cast of weapons around him, the Panthers just may make some noise in the NFC this season.

Newton finished the game with 355 yards and three touchdowns passing on an outstanding 26-for-33 line. Rookie running back Christian McCaffrey scored his first NFL touchdown in a game that was dominated by the Panthers.

Detroit came into this game with a 3-1 record, and playing well at home, and they certainly did not quietly on Sunday. Detroit scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, but ended up losing by the score of 27-24.

The Panthers defense harassed Matthew Stafford all game long, as they moved to 4-1 on the young season.

Highlights

Three Stars

1. Cam Newton

Cam Newton let his play do the talking on Sunday, as he was nearly perfect against a tough Detroit Lions defense. Newton found three different players for touchdowns, and was extremely accurate in the face of pressure. The Panthers are 4-1 this season, and with Cam playing the way he has the last two weeks, they could be a force in the NFC.

2. Devin Funchess

The Detroit native had one heck of a homecoming, scoring a touchdown in his return to the Motor City. Funchess has been a top option for Newton as of late, and is really developing into a quality wideout. He finished the game with seven catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.

3. Matthew Stafford

Stafford struggled for three quarters on Sunday, but he stepped up when it counted in the fourth quarter. The veteran signal-caller threw two fourth quarter touchdown passes, pulling his Lions to within three points. He has led his team to a 3-2 record early on, and should keep his team in the playoff hunt the rest of the way.

Betting Odds

The Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers came into this game sitting at 3-1, making this one of the better matchups in the NFC in Week 5. The Lions held a three-point advantage on the spread, and they certainly did not cover in this one.

The over/under was set at 43.0 points, and at times, it looked like Carolina would hit that themselves. All lines could be seen at Sportsbook Review throughout the week.

Next: NFL NFL Primetime: Rise of a football empireNext Week

The Carolina Panthers will have a short week to prepare for their Week 6 matchup, as they will  take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football. The Lions will hit the road to take on the New Orleans Saints, in a matchup that will pit two of the better quarterbcks in the NFC.