CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cam Newton showed glimpses Saturday night of why the Carolina Panthers made him the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, from the strong arm that zipped the ball downfield to the mobility that bought extra moments in a collapsing pocket.
He also looked like a rookie quarterback struggling with his accuracy.
Newton led two field-goal drives in his NFL, debut, and Jimmy Clausen threw a touchdown pass to Greg Olsen to help the Panthers beat the New York Giants 20-10 in an exhibition game.
Newton, the Heisman Trophy winner from Auburn, twice failed to get the Panthers into the end zone on promising first-half drives. But he also brought some big-play potential to the league's worst offense last season and a franchise desperately needing a fresh start.
In fact, the loudest cheer might have come when Newton took the field less than a minute into the second quarter.
"I was just trying to go out there and first off prove to myself that I could play on this level," Newton said. "After that first little completion, I started to get the juices flowing. It was like, 'Hey, I'm in the NFL,' and I started to get a little swagger about myself."
Newton completed 8 of 19 throws for 134 yards, including two completions of at least 30 yards. Newton played until early in the fourth quarter before giving way to veteran reserve Derek Anderson.
"They had me guessing out there, and I know this is just the beginning of what's more to come," Newton said.
Michael Boley , who returned an interception 56 yards for a score for the Giants' only touchdown, said Newton looked "pretty comfortable" and has "a pretty good cannon."
The game also marked the debut of Panthers coach Ron Rivera, who replaced John Fox as the franchise begins an overhaul after a two-win season.
Rams 33, Colts 10 in St. Louis– Sam Bradford produced 17 points in four possessions with big help from a defense that jumped on Peyton Manning's backups for two early interceptions as St. Louis opened the preseason with a victory over Indianapolis.
Josh Brown's 60-yard field goal capped an almost perfect first half not just for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' rebuilt attack but for all phases. Brown's boot bettered his career best of 58 yards in 2003 with the Seattle Seahawks, and he added a 53-yarder in the third quarter.
Manning underwent neck surgery May 23 and has not practiced. The Colts have said they expect him to be ready for the opener Sept. 11 at Houston.
Bears 10, Bills 3 in Chicago – Jay Cutler played just one series and watched as Chicago beat Buffalo even though the offensive line did little to ease any lingering concerns.
The Bills got two sacks from Shawne Merriman and nine in all, but the Bears prevailed on a soggy night in which both teams pulled their starters early.
Browns 27, Packers 17 in Cleveland – Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers threw a touchdown pass before swapping his helmet for a baseball cap in the first quarter as defending champion Green Bay opened its exhibition season with a loss.
Titans 14, Vikings 3 in Nashville, Tenn. – Jake Locker threw a 45-yard touchdown pass in his NFL debut, and Tennessee beat Minnesota to make new coach Mike Munchak a winner in an exhibition opener.
0 comments:
Post a Comment