National Football League

Newton: Panthers must limit mistakes in playoffs

Published Jan. 4, 2015 2:42 p.m. ET

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Cam Newton said if the Panthers hope to make a deep playoff run they'll need to cut down on mistakes and make more plays on offense Saturday night at Seattle.

Carolina turned over the ball three times on Saturday against Arizona but managed to escape with a 27-16 win thanks to a defense that limited quarterback Ryan Lindley and the Cardinals to 78 yards, the fewest allowed in NFL postseason history.

''Those things can't happen, especially in playoff football. We can't expect to win when we have three turnovers,'' Newton said after his first career playoff win.

The Panthers will face the Seahawks in the NFC divisional playoffs. Carolina lost to Seattle in each of the past three seasons by a total of 13 points, including a 13-9 defeat on Oct. 26 in Charlotte. All three of those losses were in Charlotte.

Coach Ron Rivera called Seattle ''one of the toughest places in the NFL to play'' in a statement released through the team on Sunday night.

''You are playing a great team in front of a loud crowd,'' Rivera said. '' ... Playing on the road late in the season at New Orleans and Atlanta should help us because they were basically playoff games for us. We'll just have to deal with it. They are a good team wherever you play them.''

Rivera also said that rookie wide receiver Philly Brown had an MRI on his left shoulder and his status for Seattle is ''day to day.''

Brown injured the shoulder against Arizona in the first half and did not return. He was a late-season addition to the starting lineup and provided the Panthers with some much-needed speed and a legitimate deep threat.

Newton is 1-1 as a starting quarterback in the playoffs, but has never started a postseason game on the road.

He praised his defense's effort after the game, but didn't appear too thrilled with the overall performance of the team.

The Panthers jumped to a 10-0 lead, but a fumble by returner Brenton Bersin and an interception by Newton - a play in which wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery ran the wrong route - led to two Arizona touchdowns, giving the Cardinals a 14-13 lead at halftime.

''Without finger pointing, it can't happen,'' Newton said.

Carolina players said it was frustrating to be down by one in the locker room knowing they had outgained Arizona 208-65.

''We started out fast on both sides of the ball and on special teams, but it kind of fizzled in the (middle of the game),'' Newton said. ''That fizzle can't happen if we expect to do great things.''

Newton also had a fumble early in the fourth quarter with the Panthers up 27-14, giving the Cardinals the ball at the Carolina 8 with a chance to get back in the game. But All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly bailed him out by intercepting Lindley near the goal line on the next play.

''We have to play better than we have,'' Rivera said. ''We gave them an opportunity to stay in the game. ... We just have to be smarter than some of the things we did out there. We have to protect the football. It's a very valuable thing.''

Kuechly finished with 10 tackles, drawing praise from tight end Greg Olsen.

''I know J.J. Watt is a great player, he's phenomenal, but you can't find a guy who impacts the game on defense like Luke,'' Olsen said after the game. ''The run game, the pass game, covering running backs. ... I mean the guy is unbelievable. Luke is the best defensive player I have ever played with. (Brian) Urlacher was like that ... a similar, dynamic kind of player, but Luke is that good already. He's phenomenal.''

The Panthers were 3-8-1 at one point in the season, but managed to fight back and win the NFC South to land a home playoff game. Despite their record, Newton said the Panthers aren't satisfied after their first postseason win in nine years.

''We have a long way to go,'' Newton said. ''And we're anticipating traveling and getting another big win next week.''

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