The Carolina Panthers’ 1-2 start isn’t sitting well with quarterback Cam Newton.
“Oh, it’s frustrating. It is frustrating,’’ quarterback Cam Newton said, via ESPN.
The Panthers came into the season having won 20 of their last 21 regular-season games. But throw in last year’s Super Bowl with losses to Denver and Minnesota to start this season, and Carolina has now suffered defeat in three of its last four games overall.
The Broncos and Vikings beat up the Panthers over the three games, sacking Newton 18 times and forcing eight turnovers. Minnesota produced eight sacks and three interceptions against Newton during last Sunday’s 22-10 win in Carolina.
The Broncos are the reigning champions and have started 3-0 in 2016. The Vikings are also 3-0. But Newton still believes the problems are more internal than external.
“It’s really going to come down to us,’’ Newton said. “Just like this past game, it wasn’t anything that they did outside of us executing. We have to understand our role. We have to take the personal challenge to ourselves knowing we’ve got to be better.”
Newton is on pace to throw 27 interceptions and take 64 sacks. Carolina is averaging almost 26 points per game, but that number is mostly the result of the 46 points scored during the Panthers’ win over the 49ers in Week 2. Last year’s scoring leaders averaged almost 32 points a game in 2015.
Then again, any offense would struggle to stockpile points facing the dominant defenses of the Broncos and Vikings.
Newton and the Panthers will attempt to get back to .500 with a win over the Atlanta Falcons, who handed Carolina its lone loss of the regular season in 2015.
