Newton likely to break record

The last time Cam Newton faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he ran his way into the NFL record books.

Today, he's in position to use his arm to do the same.

Newton, the Carolina Panthers' rookie quarterback, needs 18 yards passing against the Bucs to break Peyton Manning's single-season rookie record of 3,739 yards. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium (WGHP Ch. 10).

Newton said that the record is not as important as the Panthers' winning their last two games and carrying momentum into next season.

"We need this win, and it would be an excellent early gift on Christmas Eve," Newton said. "So I'm more worried about the win column than the individual stats. If the season is going right, individual awards will take care of themselves. The big goal is to win the game first."

The Panthers (5-9) are hot, having won three of their past four, including Sunday's 28-13 victory against the playoff-bound Houston Texans. They're also looking for a season sweep against the reeling Bucs (4-10).

Tampa Bay has lost eight straight, including a 38-19 defeat to Carolina three weeks ago, and has scored more than 20 points only once in that span. Questions are swirling about the future of their young coach, Raheem Morris.

If there's some good news for the Bucs it's that Josh Freeman will be back at quarterback.

Josh Johnson started the Dec. 4 game against the Panthers and was sacked twice, intercepted once and unable to bring the Bucs back from an early 21-6 deficit. Forced into catch-up mode, the Bucs pretty much abandoned the run, and LaGarrette Blount was not a factor (19 yards on 11 carries).

Last season, the Bucs were as resilient as any team in the league and won 10 games. This season has been different.

"It's been a rough year," Freeman said. "We haven't played up to our potential."

The Bucs have struggled to find consistency on offense, but they did have some luck against Dallas with the hurry-up offense. Freeman suggested that might be something that could help jumpstart a unit in need of a spark.

"I could see that happening, trying to really get something going early," Freeman said. "We're playing a good team this weekend in the Panthers, and their offense has been playing extremely well. It's going to be a game where we're going to have to score some points."

Newton had his way with the Bucs in the first game, leading five touchdown drives.

He threw for one touchdown and ran for three. His third touchdown run cemented the victory and broke Steve Grogan's 35-year-old NFL record for touchdowns in a season by a quarterback with 13.

For Newton, this season has been about learning how to handle adversity, and more than once he has allowed his emotions to get the best of him.

That prompted veteran linemen Jordan Gross and Ryan Kalil to pull Newton aside before Sunday's game against the Texans and suggest that he start keeping his negative emotions in check for the good of the team.

"They always get on me (because) I have a bad tendency of showing my emotions on my face," said Newton, who was once dubbed Mr. Mopeyhead by coach Ron Rivera.

"I have to change it, and I'm trying to change it. But those guys constantly stay in my ear, saying, 'You've got to be that same leader from the first quarter to the last quarter.' And with them saying that, just that little statement that was said right before the game, it made me mindful it can be somewhat of a detriment to the team," Newton said.

"If you're mad, if you're ticked off. Not saying that everybody else is not feeling the same way you (are). But at the quarterback position, you have to stay even keel."

It seemed to work. The Panthers took a 21-0 lead against the Texans and held on to win.

Gross said he likes Newton better now as a quarterback than he did after Newton threw for a combined 854 yards in his first two games. He said that's because Newton is learning that he doesn't have to do everything himself.

"I agree with that 100 percent," Newton said of Gross' comments.

Newton said he's trying to learn to have more fun, like veteran teammates Jeremy Shockey, Steve Smith and Gross.

"They bring the fun to the game," Newton said. "And I kind of got sidetracked from that a couple times this year. But like I said, you've got to stay even-keeled, especially at the quarterback position."