Cam Newton threw for a touchdown and rushed for a touchdown while his defense did the rest Sunday in a 17-6 win for the Carolina Panthers. The second-year QB continued Carolina's late season surge as the Panthers have now won three games in a row and four of their past five heading into next week's season finale at New Orleans.
Raiders vs. Panthers: Carolina wins, 17-6
Carolina outlasts the Raiders in a defensive struggle.
Streeter Lecka
Newton passed for 170 yards and had a 23-yard first quarter touchdown pass to Steve Smith that put the Panthers in front for good. Newton also threw an interception, but he had a three-yard touchdown run just before halftime that put Carolina ahead, 14-3, at the break.
From there, it was Carolina's defense that got the job done. Matt Leinart threw for 115 yards in 32 attempts with an interception while Carson Palmer threw for 31 yards on three attempts. The Raiders had virtually no help from their running game with 47 yards in 22 attempts as a team.
Fantasy studs/duds
Both teams struggled to put up yards and points, but Cam Newton managed to throw for 170 yards and a touchdown with an interception. His touchdown pass was a 23-yard first quarter score to Steve Smith. Newton also rushed for a touchdown and had 60 yards on the ground.
Sebastian Janikowski was the only fantasy star of note for Oakland with two field goals. Three different quarterbacks threw a pass for Oakland.
Did they cover?
The Panthers entered the game as 9.5 point favorites, so the 11 point victory was enough to cover the spread. Graham Gano's field goal with 2:46 left in the game made sure of that.
What’s next?
Both teams are eliminated from playoff competition, but Carolina can splay spoiler next week when it travels to New Orleans. The Saints still have faint playoff hopes for a wild card. Oakland will play at San Diego in a game that only has draft implications.
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