CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Despite a record-setting rookie season, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was not selected to the Pro Bowl. He certainly isn’t pouting over it. “Who am I to be mad at the fact that I’m the first alternate?” Newton said with a wide smile Wednesday. Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Eli Manning were selected over Newton, even though Manning has seven fewer total touchdowns. Newton says he was “honored” to be selected as a first alternate and knows there’s a good chance he might wind up replacing one of the guys ahead of him if he pulls out of the game or if the Packers, Saints or Giants wind up in the Super Bowl, which is now played one week after the Pro Bowl. “Those three guys are at the peak of their game,” Newton said. Still, Panthers coach Ron Rivera believes Newton deserved to go, citing the rookie’s ability to make plays with his feet. Newton has thrown for 20 touchdowns and run for 14, the most ever by a quarterback. By comparison, Manning has 27 total touchdowns — 26 passing and one rushing. Manning, however, has more yards passing (4,587) than Newton (3,893) and has a slightly higher quarterback rating. Both have 16 interceptions. “I’m disappointed,” Rivera said. “He’s first alternate, but still. People talk about the numbers weren’t as good as some of the other guys. But I disagree because of the combined numbers — not just throwing the ball, but running the ball.” The Panthers have led in 14 of 15 games this season, but are just 6-9 because they’ve struggled to close out games in the fourth quarter. Manning’s Giants will face the Cowboys this Sunday for the NFC East division title. All things considered, Newton has had a remarkable season for the Panthers and is one of the top candidates for NFL Rookie of the Year. He’s already broken Peyton Manning’s rookie record for yards passing in a season and has shattered Steve Grogan’s 35-year-old record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. This week against the Saints he needs 107 yards to become the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards and run for 500 in the same season. Saints coach Sean Payton wouldn’t divulge who he voted for in the Pro Bowl, but said Newton has been impressive. He also believes Newton will end up playing in the game one way or the other. “He’s going to have a ton of opportunities to play in the Pro Bowl,” Payton said of Newton. “To be a rookie with no offseason and literally no minicamp and to report to training camp and do what he’s done is amazing. … He’s a guy that I see in that game. Unfortunately he’s also in our division.” Payton said he was impressed with Newton the first time he saw him in a uniform. “I remember being out at midfield the last time we played and seeing his stature and size and arm strength,” Payton said. “He’s got that warm smile that’s contagious to playing quarterback in this league and I think that (confidence) exudes over to his team.” When asked if he’s exceeded his own expectations this year, Newton said, “I’m all about how team success plays out and our record is not where we want to be. My goal before this year was to make it to the playoffs. We had ample opportunities to make that happen and I think we dropped the ball on that.” Center Ryan Kalil, who will represent the Panthers at the Pro Bowl along with receiver Steve Smith, said he expects Newton will be making plenty of trips to Hawaii in the future. “I think he has the respect of a lot of guys around the league and let’s face it, there’s nothing wrong with being a first alternate either, especially against the quarterbacks he has to compete against,” Kalil said. “But he’s had a heck of a season, especially as a rookie who didn’t have an offseason that a guy normally would have because of the lockout.” Kalil said he’s seen Newton mature as a leader both on and off the field. “We can’t be more excited about having him for the future,” Kalil said. Newton is excited, too. “The one thing we have made a big stride in is creating that hope and a buzz in the community of Charlotte,” Newton said. “You can see the fan support everywhere and to some degree we’ve succeeded in that level.”

The Saints will play to win Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

Although they could opt to rest some starters in the regular-season finale, Coach Sean Payton said he doesn’t want to give up the Saints’ chance at the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, and he doesn’t want to mess with the momentum they’ve built during their seven-game win streak.

“We’re playing some of our best football here the last few weeks. There’s some value to that,” said Payton, who said he doesn’t plan to keep an eye on the scoreboard to see what’s happening between the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams at the same time Sunday.

The Saints need the 49ers to lose at St. Louis to have a chance at the No. 2 seed and the first-round playoff bye that comes with it. That’s obviously a long shot, because the Rams are 2-13. But as Payton reminded, the Rams beat the Saints in St. Louis in Week 8.

“I’d hate to make that decision, (then watch the 49ers lose),” Payton said. “Our league is a league where every week, any team that lines up can win. A perfect example is the team we’re talking about is a team that beat us.”

Safety Roman Harper said he’s glad the Saints are playing to win, saying he wouldn’t want to turn off the switch at this point. But he was skeptical that the Rams will be able to hold up their end of the bargain.

He said in their situation, they probably have their bags packed for the offseason already.

“If they really wanted to help us, they wouldn’t have beat us in the first place. That’s how I look at it,” Harper said. “But we really can’t worry about what St. Louis and San Francisco are doing. We can only focus on how we’re going to control Cam Newton and Steve Smith and the Panthers.”

Fearing the injury bug

If Payton had any hesitation about playing his starters this week, it’s because of what the Saints experienced firsthand in Week 17 last season.

The Saints were in the same position, needing a victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons to lose to a struggling Carolina Panthers team in the final week to have a shot at the No. 1 seed. So the Saints played their starters, and they lost three key players to injuries in the first half — tight end Jimmy Graham, safety Malcolm Jenkins and tailback Chris Ivory — before losing the game.

All three players missed the playoff opener at Seattle the next week, which the Saints also lost. And Payton later said that playing his starters in Week 17 was one of his greatest regrets of the season.

Payton said this season is different, though, because the team is well-rested after a Week 10 bye. And, he said, “knock on wood, we’re healthy.”

Quarterback Drew Brees agreed with Payton’s decision to go all-out this week, saying it didn’t work out last season when they were essentially straddling the fence.

“I think we all found ourselves scoreboard-watching a little bit as to what was happening in that other game (last season),” Brees said. “And therefore I feel like, not that we took a step back in that game, but we just didn’t progress. And our mindset is we want to continue to progress and get better. I think there’s things that serve you well in this game if you can continue to stay on the rise as you go into the playoffs, whether they’re just confidence builders or situations that come up that you fight through.

“So I think we’re taking on a little bit different mindset than we did last year at this time in a very similar situation.”

Records within reach

Payton’s decision likely would have been the same under any circumstances this season. But it would have been an awkward choice to bench Brees.

Brees broke the NFL record for passing yards in a season in dramatic fashion Monday night in front of the frenzied crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and a national-television audience. But he remains only 190 yards ahead of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, so he probably needs to add at least another 150 yards or so to secure the record.

Brees said that wasn’t the reason for the decision to play the starters this week. Neither was the team’s chase for the all-time yardage or first downs records, or Graham’s chase for the all-time receiving yardage record for tight ends, or tailback-kick returner Darren Sproles’ chase for the NFL all-purpose yardage record.

“Listen, there’s a lot of records out there that we could potentially set, break, what have you in this game,” Brees said. “I think our mindset, above and beyond that, was, ‘How do we put ourselves in the best position to play well and win in the playoffs?’”

Not that those records aren’t special.

Kudos flow in

Brees was emotional about breaking the passing record Monday night, as were his teammates, coaches, members of the organization and the fan base. He fought back tears as he addressed the team in a postgame speech, sharing the credit with everyone from his receivers to the equipment managers. And he even went out and celebrated with teammates after the game, not part of his usual routine.

“I figure life is too short. You have to appreciate these moments,” said Brees, who figured he received hundreds of phone messages, texts and emails from friends, family and heroes of his own.

One of them, he said, was a hilarious message from Metairie-born entertainer Ellen DeGeneres, who suggested that her coaching and advice had paid off during her visit to the team’s training camp practices in Oxnard, Calif.

Another came from the former record-holder, Dan Marino, whose mark of 5,084 yards had stood since 1984.

“Dan Marino called me yesterday and we talked for a little bit, and that was obviously a very classy move on his part to reach out and tell me congratulations,” Brees said. “We talked for a while. Obviously I have a ton of respect for him, not only what he accomplished as a player, but the way he has handled this whole situation. I heard from him last week saying he was rooting for me.”

Although Brees had tried to compartmentalize his emotions during the record chase, he said he also tried to prepare for what the moment would be like — especially in case it happened during a tense moment in the game.

That wasn’t the case in the Saints’ 45-16 rout of the Falcons, though it did come down to a late drive in the fourth quarter.

“Mid-fourth quarter we felt like the game was in hand, but the record was still out there,” Brees said. “It was obviously important to a lot of people, I know everybody in that stadium and everybody watching, that we did it that night and in the fashion we did it. But I guess the moment itself was surreal. You still kind of pinch yourself that it really happened. But maybe just because we’re so locked in with where we’re at and what we still have to accomplish.

“It’s not necessarily time to reflect. We can do that after the season. We’re thinking about what’s ahead.”

••••••••

Mike Triplett can be reached at mtriplett@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.

With the 2011 NFL football season winding down, it now becomes time for fans of non-playoff teams to start thinking about “next year” once again. The Carolina Panthers were recently picked by ESPN writer John Clayton to move on to the playoffs in 2012 and I am inclined to agree with him. It is easy to see why after the huge strides this team made in the second part of the season. As a Carolina Panthers fan myself, I have to say that I feel very good about their chances in 2012. I have my reasons and none of them are because I am jaded by my favorite team. They are solid, reasonable arguments.

Cam Newton and his band of merry men

Cam Newton is not going to be sneaking up on anyone in 2012, but that has not stopped him in the second half of 2011 either. Cam Newton has answered the bell and actually gotten better as a quarterback in the second part of the season. He has even seemingly found out the combination for winning is not necessarily through his arm and huge numbers passing. Not only that, the Panthers as a team have bought into this whole winning thing. Go back and watch their body language during the last several games and you will see what I mean. They expect to win.

An improved and experienced receiving group

The Panthers will head into the 2012 season with a nice batch of weapons to throw to for a change. What was once a huge weakness has now become a bit of a strength for many reasons. The main reasons are the reemergence of Steve Smith, the blossoming of Brandon LaFell and the return of David Gettis. Add in some Greg Olsen and possibly Jeremy Shockey, and you have the makings of a great group of pass catchers. Even if the Panthers stand pat, they should be just fine in this area.

A confident coaching staff and system to believe in

Coming into the 2011 season, the Panthers had no idea what to expect from their coaching staff. Ron Rivera was a bit of an unknown commodity, and his men were going to turn the offense and defense upside down. After a great offensive year, Chudzinski has solidified his value. The defense still needs work, but that is what the draft, free agency and an off season are there for. When you bring the injured starters back to the table, the Panthers are a pretty good defensive group too. Coming into the season, many thought the defense would be their strength.

*Southern is a huge NFL and Carolina Panthers football fan that has followed the team since the very beginning. He still thinks that Tom Brady is the enemy and that Steve Smith will win a Super Bowl before it is said and done.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Carolina Panthers are on quite the roll lately. During week seventeen, they will face a team that is on an even bigger roll in the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have locked up their playoff position at number three, and can only get better with a win and San Francisco 49ers loss to the Rams. Since the loss to the Rams is not likely at all, the Saints are acting like they are considering benching Drew Brees for safety precautions. While this is possible, it is not remotely likely. That decision will have a direct bearing on how the Panthers play their game.

A record could get in the way of Brees sitting

No matter how much the Saints say that the single season passing record now owned by Brees will play no bearing on whether he plays or not, I don’t believe it. Brees is only just under 200 yards ahead of Tom Brady with one game left and Brady is playing for sure. I can’t imagine Brees or Sean Payton allowing that record to slip out of New Orleans under any circumstances. Drew Brees will play in this game.

Can Cam Newton and the Panthers keep up with the Saints?

Cam Newton and the Panthers already have. In their first match up with the Saints, the Panthers took them down to the limit, and that was before the offense gelled like they have the last several weeks. Now the Panthers are a well-oiled machine that can realistically be expected to give the Saints fits at full strength. If the Saints go without Brees and rest players, this game will likely be a fairly easy win for the Panthers. Payton will not want to head into the playoffs on a loss like that.

Final Prediction

Call it the Panthers fan in me, but I think the Panthers will beat the Saints regardless of whether Brees is in the lineup or not. If Brees is out, that is a clear win for the Panthers. If Brees plays, then it will be game on for round two. Cam Newton and the Panthers versus Drew Brees and the Saints was awesome the first time around and it would be again. I think that Brees will play, and the Panthers will send a message to them for the next season.

The Carolina Panthers are about to become very relevant once again.

*Southern is a huge NFL and Carolina Panthers football fan that has followed the team since the very beginning. He still thinks that Tom Brady is the enemy and that Cam Newton and Steve Smith will win a Super Bowl before it is said and done.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Christmas came early for the red-hot Carolina Panthers offense in Week 16.

After starting the season 2-8, the young, injury-ravaged Carolina Panthers have caught fire late in the season, winning three of their last four games as they welcomed NFC South rival Tampa Bay to Bank of America Stadium on Christmas Eve. The smoking hot Carolina offense entered the game averaging 30.2 points over the last five games and must have viewed the struggling Tampa Bay defense as an early Christmas present. Santa made an early visit to Charlotte as the Panthers destroyed the Buccaneers 48-16.

On a personal note, I attended this game with my ten-year-old son and had a memorable day with him as we witnessed history being made as Cam Newton broke the rookie passing record and Brandon LaFell scored the longest touchdown in Panthers history. You can read my more personal, less analytical account by clicking here if you are so inclined.

While the NFL post game shows cover the scoring plays, I look for the less visible but equally crucial plays that sustain drives, spring the big plays, or change momentum. Here is my analysis, as a Panthers fan, of these key plays, both good (“The Gamers”) and bad (“The Lamers”) that took place during Carolina’s Week 15 road victory against the Houston Texans.

1st Quarter

10:17, Jordan Gross, T – Gamer. Score tied 0-0, CAR ball on TB 8. On 1st-and-Goal Cam Newton lined up under center and handed off to DeAngelo Williams to the left. LT Jordan Gross got into the second level of the defense on his block, forcing LB Geno Hayes to swing wide and out of position, then Gross sealed LB Quincy Black. Gross eliminated two linebackers as DeAngelo went eight yards untouched into the end zone, giving Carolina an early 7-0 lead.

10:01, James Anderson, LB – Gamer. Panthers lead 7-0, TB ball on TB 17. On the Bucs first play from scrimmage, QB Josh Freeman and RB LeGarrette Blount had a bad handoff exchange and fumbled. LB James Anderson shot through the crowd and recovered the fumble, setting up the Panthers for a field goal and a 10-0 lead.

6:07, Greg Hardy, DE – Lamer. Panthers lead 10-0, TB ball on TB 40. Tampa Bay faced a 3rd-and-2. DE Greg Hardy tried to anticipate the snap but instead jumped offside, giving the Bucs a first down on a drive that ended with a Tampa Bay touchdown, trimming the Panthers lead to 10-7.

2nd Quarter

13:20, Jonathan Stewart, RB and Steve Smith, WR – Gamers. Panthers lead 10-7, CAR ball on CAR 9. On 2nd-and-9 Cam Newton lined up in shotgun near his own end zone with Jonathan Stewart to his left. Tampa Bay blitzed safety Sean Jones up the middle and Stewart picked up the blitz with a solid block, allowing Newton to stand in the pocket. Newton fired a deep slant to Brandon LaFell. LaFell made a great leaping catch and began sprinting toward the end zone with three Bucs defenders in pursuit – Ronde Barber, Tanard Jackson, and E.J. Biggers. Fellow WR Steve Smith became a blocker for LaFell, cutting in front of Barber and Jackson, causing them to slow down, then Smith put a block on Biggers. Brandon LaFell took the ball 91-yards to the house for the longest touchdown in Panthers history and a 17-7 Panthers lead.

6:21, Antwan Applewhite, DE – Gamer. Panthers lead 17-7, TB ball on CAR 27. Tampa Bay faced a 3rd-and-7 nearing the red zone. Josh Freeman lined up in shotgun and dropped to pass. DE Antwan Applewhite faked a rush then dropped into zone coverage in the middle. Freeman was nearly sacked but managed to flip a pass to Sammie Stroughter. Applewhite closed on Stroughter and dropped him after a three-yard gain, forcing a fourth down and a Tampa Bay field goal, trimming the Carolina lead to 17-10.

4:31, Jordan Gross, T and Steve Smith, WR – Gamers. Panthers lead 17-10, CAR ball on CAR 34. On second down Cam Newton lined up in shotgun with Jonathan Stewart to his right. Newton handed off to Stewart who went off left tackle where Jordan Gross forced DE Adrian Clayborn wide, opening a large hole. Steve Smith was lined up wide left and sustained a strong block on E.J. Biggers, eliminating him from the play as Stewart broke a tackle and rumbled 32 yards. The long play was key in setting up the Panthers for a field goal to end the half, pushing the Carolina lead to 20-10.

3rd Quarter

12:01, Brandon LaFell, WR – Gamer. Panthers lead 20-10, CAR ball on TB 22. Nearing the red zone Cam Newton lined up in a short shotgun with Jonathan Stewart to his right and DeAngelo Williams behind him. Newton faked a handoff to Stewart and ran an option right with Williams. After making a blitzing safety commit, Newton lateraled to Williams down the right sideline. Brandon LaFell was split wide right and sustained a solid block on the cornerback, creating a lane for Williams to run untouched for a 22-yard touchdown and a 27-10 Panthers lead.

7:16, Andre Neblett, DT – Gamer. Panthers lead 27-10, TB ball on TB 48. On 1st-and-10 the Bucs got tricky as Josh Freeman handed off to WR Michael Spurlock who was coming in motion from right to left. Spurlock threw the ball back to Freeman who then hit Kellen Winslow down the right sideline. Winslow leaped and hurdled safety Sherrod Martin but Winslow fumbled. The fumble was recovered 26-yards down field by a hustling DT Andre Neblett who never gave up on pursuing the play. The Panthers scored on the next drive on a screen pass to Jonathan Stewart, pushing the lead to 34-10.

1:19, Greg Hardy, DE and Andre Neblett DT. Panthers lead 34-10, TB ball on CAR 44. Facing 4th-and-1, Tampa Bay went for it. Josh Freeman lined up in shotgun. DE Greg Hardy executed a nice spin move, shedding his blocker and collapsing the pocket, forcing Freeman to his left. DT Andre Neblett swung wide and pressured Freeman, forcing an incompletion and a Tampa Bay turnover on downs.

:33, Cam Newton, QB – Gamer. Panthers lead 34-10, CAR ball on TB 49. On 2nd-and-4 Cam Newton lined up in shotgun with Jonathan Stewart to his left. Newton faked the handoff to Stewart and ran through a gaping hole off the right guard. Cam absolutely juked safety Tanard Jackson in the open field and Jackson failed to even get a hand on Newton. CB E.J. Bigger had a good angle and hit Newton at the 10-yard line, but Cam delivered a strong stiff arm and dragged Biggers into the end zone for a 49-yard touchdown and 41-10 Panthers lead.

:17, Jason Williams, LB – Gamer. Panthers lead 41-10, TB Kickoff Return. Special teamer Jason Williams flew down the field to cover a Carolina kickoff and nailed kick returner Sammie Stroughter with a hard tackle about ten yards out of the end zone. Williams forced Stroughter to fumble and the ball was recovered by Carolina deep within Tampa Bay territory, setting up a Jeremy Shockey touchdown two plays later as the Panthers pushed the lead to 48-10.

4th Quarter

11:11, Greg Hardy, DE – Gamer. Panthers lead 48-16, TB ball for Two-Point Conversion. After a Josh Freeman 1-yard touchdown lunge, Tampa Bay lined up for a two-point conversion. Freeman went shotgun, took the snap, and looked to his right. DE Greg Hardy blew past tackle Donald Penn and came from Freeman’s blindside, strip-sacking the Bucs quarterbak and preventing the two-point conversion.

4:33, Jason Shirley, DT – Gamer. Panthers lead 48-16, TB ball on CAR 36. With the game all but over, Josh Freeman dropped back to pass. DT Jason Shirley executed a nice spin move, shedding his blocker and leaving the offensive lineman on the ground. Shirley sacked Freeman and continues to make the most of his opportunity to prove himself in light of the rash of injuries to the defensive line.

The surging Carolina Panthers now stand at 6-9 and have won four of their last five, giving fans an early Christmas present. Just as children often dream about Christmas presents, Panthers fans like me are dreaming about a healthy squad next year, with visions of Jon Beason, Thomas Davis, Ron Edwards, Jeff Otah, Geoff Schwartz, and David Gettis dancing in our heads.

If the Panthers current momentum can be coupled with better health in 2012, look for the Panthers to make a become one of the surprise teams next season.

Andrew Sweat is a North Carolina resident and loyal Panthers fan. More from this author:

‘Gamers & Lamers’ – Week 15 vs. Houston

The Curse of the Carolina Panthers DT Strikes Again!

Top Five Crazy-But-True Carolina Panthers Stats

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.