National Football League

Newton takes step back, Panthers lose to Bengals

Published Aug. 26, 2011 6:36 a.m. ET

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Andy Dalton didn't consider Thursday night's matchup with Carolina's Cam Newton as any kind of a showdown between two highly regarded rookie quarterbacks.

The Cincinnati quarterback still was satisfied with the outcome.

Dalton, the Bengals' second-round draft pick from Texas Christian, led four first-half scoring drives and the Bengals held on for a 24-13 preseason victory over the Panthers.

''I wasn't worried about that,'' he said of playing against Newton. ''I just wanted to go out and try to play well and do my part to win the football game.''

Dalton was 11 of 17 for 130 yards and a touchdown for Cincinnati (1-2), putting together a 107.5 quarterback rating, a vast improvement over the 30.9 he took into the game.

He credited a running game that finished with 191 yards, 63 in the first quarter, which he said helped open up the passing game.

Cedric Benson gained 68 yards on 16 carries, all in the first half, and Bernard Scott gained all 63 of his yards on six carries in the second quarter.

''When you run the ball, they are going to try to get more guys in the box to try and stop it,'' Dalton said. ''We had chances one-on-one, and I think we took advantage of it tonight.''

Coach Marvin Lewis considered Dalton's performance an extension of the way he finished against the Jets in a loss last Sunday.

''He really just settled down and played at ease,'' Lewis said.

Newton, the overall No. 1 pick by Carolina (1-2), went into the game with a 65.2 quarterback rating. He rushed for 41 yards in the first half, including a 16-yard scramble for a touchdown. He played the first three series of the third quarter before giving way to second-year quarterback Jimmy Clausen and finished 6 for 19 for 75 yards.

First-year coach Ron Rivera refused to pin all the blame on his prized rookie.

''This is a new offense and it's not just about Cam, but (also) about the other 10 guys being ready to play,'' Rivera said. ''It's not just about the one guy. We didn't draft him to be a savior, we drafted him to lead us.''

Newton already has six weeks of work under his belt, but that hasn't been enough time.

''I don't feel like I've been here six weeks,'' he said. ''I'll be doggone if it takes me years. The whole learning process has been sped up. It's not fun losing. We had the same amount of time prepare as they did.''

Newton reverted to the Heisman Trophy-winning style he used while leading Auburn to last year's national championship to account for his first touchdown as a pro.

After Carolina cornerback Chris Gamble recovered a Benson fumble at the Cincinnati 46, Newton led Carolina on a six-play scoring drive. He completed just one of four passes on the possession, but he capped it by scrambling 16 yards for the score.

Cornerback Jonathan Wade hit Newton at about the 2-yard line, but Newton spun out of Wade's grasp and went into the end zone with 6:17 left in the first quarter.

The Panthers gained possession because Dalton and Benson had a miscommunication on a handoff, producing Cincinnati's sixth turnover of the preseason. The touchdown lifted opponents' combined advantage over the Bengals in points off turnovers to 34-0.

Dalton and Benson shook off the fumble to lead the Bengals on their most impressive drive of the preseason. Dalton was 3 of 4 for 27 yards and Benson carried the ball 11 times for 53 yards, including a 1-yard run around left end for a touchdown to tie it.

They took their first lead on their next possession with Dalton finding fellow rookie A.J. Green for a 40-yard touchdown.

''It's like a dream come true,'' said Green, Cincinnati's top pick and the overall No. 4 selection. ''I've been thinking about it all day, honestly - 'When am I going to get my first TD?'''

The Bengals followed up by converting their first takeaway of the preseason into another score. Armanti Edwards fumbled a punt, Manny Lawson recovered for Cincinnati at the Carolina 12, and Scott went untouched around left end on the next play for a 21-7 lead with 1:29 left in the half.

The Bengals got one more possession with 51 seconds left in the half and Dalton completed four consecutive passes for 37 yards, setting up Mike Nugent's 55-yard field goal with 8 seconds remaining.

''That was big for me, and that was big for the offense to get into the two-minute drill,'' Dalton said. ''You have to make sure everybody's on the same page, and we did a great job of doing that.''

''I thought he was excellent,'' Lewis said. ''He handled that situation very, very well and put us in position to get the field goal. That was a great job.''

Notes: Gamble, from Ohio State, left the game in the second quarter with a dislocated thumb and did not return. ''They put it back in,'' Rivera said. ''He'll get it treated, and he should be back.'' ... Bengals TE Bo Scaife left the game early in the first quarter with a right shoulder injury. He did not return. ... Nugent's 55-yard field goal doesn't count in the team record books, but it matched the official record - Chris Bahr's kick against the then-Houston Oilers on Sept. 23, 1979. ... The attendance was announced at 41,735 in 65,515-seat Paul Brown Stadium.