CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cam Newton said he lives for pressure-packed moments.
But so far the Panthers seventh-year quarterback has been mediocre in the postseason, something he hopes to improve upon when the Panthers visit the Saints on Sunday in the NFC playoffs.
Newton is 3-3 all-time in the postseason, with his last playoff game culminating in an emotionally devastating 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
Outside of a riveting performance in a 49-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals in the 2015 NFC championship game, Newton's statistics in the postseason have been average. He has completed just 59.7 percent of his passes for eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. He's run for only two TDs, both of those coming in the playoff rout of the Cardinals.
"This is when the real football starts," Newton said after Wednesday's practice. "This is where you're made or you're broke — and I look forward to these moments because it brings out the best in the individual because there is so much pressure. And we all know pressure does one of two things. We're hoping to shine like diamonds on Sunday."
The Saints (11-5) have already defeated Carolina (11-5) twice this season, including a 31-21 victory on Dec. 3.
But that doesn't bother the NFL's 2015 league MVP, who is expecting to bounce back from the worst statistical game of his game of his career in a 22-10 loss last Sunday at Atlanta.
His quarterback rating of 31.5 in a 22-10 loss to the Falcons was the worst of his 109 career starts. He misfired on his first nine passes and had three second half interceptions. Yet he believes the problems in that game are easily fixable and the Panthers can rebound and rediscover the mojo that helped them win seven of eight games before the Falcons fiasco.
"It just wasn't clicking," Newton said. "And it was internal. So self-inflicted things and that's never good for you. ... Protecting the football is important and I have to do a way better job of doing that."
This isn't first time the Panthers have battled adversity, which isn't lost on the former Heisman Trophy winner who won a national championship at Auburn.
Even Panthers coach Ron Rivera referred to this as a "tumultuous" season.
The Panthers endured the off-field distractions from get go with the firing of general manager Dave Gettleman on the eve of training camp. That was followed by the midseason trade of No. 1 wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, the negative feedback from Newton's sexist comments to a female reporter and the alleged sexual and racial misconduct surrounding team owner Jerry Richardson, who now plans to sell the team.
And that doesn't even include the injuries which kept three-time Pro Bowl tight Greg Olsen and two-time All-Pro center Ryan Kalil out of most of the season.
Newton said the Panthers have learned to "weather the storm," which has brought them closer together as a team.
Carolina's wide receiving corps remains a muddled mess and the Panthers still don't appear to have a defined role for rookie running back Christian McCaffrey. But Olsen will play against the Saints for the first time this year giving Newton more options, and running back Jonathan Stewart (back stiffness) and guard Trai Turner (concussion) are expected back from injuries this week.
But the reality is the Panthers will only go as far as Newton can take them in the postseason.
Not only is he the Panthers' leading passer, he's also their leading rusher.
"We get Cam Newton playing fast, we're a dangerous offense," Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula said.
"We've got to keep Cam from trying to run all over the field, try to make him be more of a pocket passer," said Saints defensive tackle Tyeler Davison.
Saints defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins said the Saints have been able to throw Newton off the last two games by disguising coverages and giving him multiple looks. Newton has two TD passes and three interceptions in two games against the Saints which the Panthers have lost by a combined margin of 65-34.
"Not allowing him to get a bead on where the coverage is rolling down to, who's coming, who's not, different stunts up front," Rankins said. "If you can always keep Cam on his toes, it definitely gives you the best chance to win."
Rivera said he expects Newton to play well.
"He's a guy that tends to bounce back after a tough outing," Rivera said. "We had a tough outing. He's going to prepare, be ready. We, as a football team, will prepare and be ready."
X-factor: A running Mariota gives Titans another dimension
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie might have been the happiest person at practice watching quarterback Marcus Mariota look like, well, Mariota.
The quarterback brushed aside a safety with a stiff-arm on his way to a big run.
When Mariota is running, the Titans are usually all smiles because their offense shows signs of life.
"That's what we know he's capable of doing, and when he's capable of doing that, it helps our offense again I'll tell you probably 80 percent," Robiskie said Wednesday. "I hate to say that, but if he can't do that or he's in position that he can't do that or that don't happen, we're not the offense we're trying to be."
Mariota ran a career-high 10 times for a season-high 60 yards to help the Titans earn their first playoff berth since 2008. Better yet, teammates saw a swagger in Mariota as he got off the ground and stared down a defender to make them confident their quarterback is feeling good, possibly even as he did before a broken right leg ended his 2016 season a game early.
"That's old Marcus, before the injury," Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey. "That's him. This is the Marcus I been waiting to see -- him using them legs and making things happen. We need to see that more out of him going forward."
Titans coach Mike Mularkey loved Mariota's body language, and now the Titans (9-7) need their quarterback who won the 2014 Heisman Trophy to keep running Saturday when they visit Kansas City (10-6) for an AFC wild-card game.
"We're at that point right now when every man needs to do whatever he can, whatever it takes, to make this thing go," Mularkey said. "It was good to see what he did the other night. Obviously, it helped us win the football game. I think it helped him gain a little confidence too that he can do more."
An NFL quarterback needing a confidence boost sounds unusual, but Mariota's third season with the Titans has easily been his worst statistically with a career-low 13 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Mariota has a career-high five TDs rushing, but the quarterback who missed six quarters in October with a strained left hamstring had his lowest average per carry yet at 5.2 yards per attempt.
The Titans dropped from third in the NFL in rushing last season to 15th this season.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid has seen enough of Mariota after the quarterback led a game-winning drive late last season to know they have to be careful when he starts running.
"You don't ever get tricked by that kind of speed that he has," Reid said. "When he kicks that thing into overdrive, he can go, so you have to stay very disciplined with him. That will be one of the challenges for my defense."
Mariota, who converted four first downs with his legs in the fourth quarter of last week's 15-10 win over the Jaguars , said he just took advantage of how Jacksonville was playing the Titans. Mariota says running came partially from feeling better and simple necessity.
"At this point in time, every guy is probably not going to feel 100 percent," Mariota said. "It's just that time of the year. With the magnitude of these games, you've got to win these games. You're going to find a way to make a play and hopefully help your team win."
Mariota has heard a lot from friends and fans on how he stiff-armed Jaguars safety Barry Church. So does he think he has his "swagger" back just in time for his NFL playoff debut?
"It was just me being me," Mariota said. "Again, I'm going to do whatever it takes to win. This is the time in the season where you've just got to lay it all on the line."
Notes: Derrick Henry said Wednesday he was not happy at all with his performance last week with 28 carries for 51 yards. He took a screen 66 yards for the Titans' lone offensive touchdown. But Henry said he didn't feel like a workhorse back and "kind of felt soft." Henry says he hasn't stopped thinking about that game since the game ended and has been working hard to be better. ... RB DeMarco Murray (right knee), CB Logan Ryan and S Da'Norris Searcy (illness) and CB Brice McCain (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday.