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Perfect Panthers outlast Giants
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AFTER one of the strangest and nastiest games this National Football League season, Cam Newton had an odd feeling.
His Carolina Panthers had just shrugged off a record-equaling Giants comeback to remain perfect with a wild 38-35 victory on Sunday. Newton, who threw for five touchdowns to further state his case for NFL Most Valuable Player honors, wasn’t quite sure what he’d just been through.
“It was kind of a weird feeling in that locker room, and I’m still feeling kind of weird, but not enough to (not) celebrate,” said Newton, who also rushed for 100 yards. “We’re just trying to find a way to get victories.”
New York tied the score after trailing by 28 points in the third quarter, but the Panthers got to 14-0 on Graham Gano’s 43-yard field goal as time expired.
It was Carolina’s 18th straight regular-season victory. Newton has thrown for 19 touchdowns in the last five games and a career-best 33 in this so-far special season.
It looked oh so easy when NFC South champion Carolina led 35-7 with 5:32 left in the third quarter. Then the Giants (6-8) matched San Francisco’s 28-point rally — from the same score — against New Orleans in 1980.
One big difference: The 49ers won that game in overtime. The Giants trail Washington by one game in the NFC East, and have lost in the final minutes six times.
Carolina hasn’t lost at all, of course.
Carolina visits Atlanta and hosts Tampa Bay to finish the schedule. All three previous NFL teams to reach 14-0 — Miami in 1972, New England in 2007 and Indianapolis in 2009 — made the Super Bowl. Only the Dolphins won the championship, though.
The 18 straight wins match the third-longest string in NFL history.
“These last two games are division opponents, and we’ll be in a hostile environment in Atlanta,” Newton said. “And we’ve got a tricky week with Christmas. We just have to find a way to keep moving ahead and make sure we stay on the side of the pendulum.”
The Giants tied it when Odell Beckham Jr, involved in a game-long helmet-smacking, shoving and jawing session with cornerback Josh Norman, got behind Norman for a 14-yard touchdown catch with 1:46 to go. Beckham had lost his cool several times as Norman was getting the best of him in their high-profile matchup. But he got free for a 40-yard catch and run that led to the tying TD.
Then Newton calmly guided the Panthers 49 yards to the winning kick.
In other NFL games, it was: Vikings 38, Bears 17; Falcons 23, Jaguars 17; Texans 16, Colts 10; Patriots 33, Titans 16; Redskins 35, Bills 25; Chiefs 34, Ravens 14; Seahawks 30, Browns 13; Packers 30, Raiders 20; Chargers 30, Dolphins 14; Bengals 24, 49ers 14; Steelers 34, Broncos 27; and Cardinals 40, Eagles 17.
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