It’s not often that you get to claim that you beat the very best at their own game, but that’s exactly what Cam Newton was able to do on not one, but two separate occasions. The Carolina Panthers legend has been one of the most discussed figures in all of sports media throughout the past several months, and he’s now using some of that limelight to remind folks about the caliber of player that he used to be.
Advertisement
During the latest episode of Newton’s 4th & 1 podcast, the unofficially retired signal caller took the time to reflect on the career of Tom Brady following the unveiling of his statue outside of Gillette Stadium. After paying his respects to the GOAT and commending him for aging with grace, Newton made sure to mention the various head-to-head records of Brady’s career, including their own.
“Just go back and look at the stats. That’s all I’m saying,” Newton exclaimed after it was noted that Brady had a 4-3 record against his Panthers. Surprisingly enough, the 2015 regular season MVP is one of the few quarterbacks to ever escape with a winning record against the former New England Patriot.
Out of their three encounters, Newton managed to prevail in two of them. The first instance came all the way back in 2013, during a Monday Night Football showcase.
Newton was responsible for 271 of the Panthers’ 300 total yards that day, throwing for 209 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 62 yards on just seven carries. Despite a late fourth-quarter surge from Brady and the Patriots, the Panthers walked away with a 24-20 victory.
Four years later, they’d meet again in Foxborough. Newton would manage to throw for 316 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, while Brady produced 307 passing yards and two touchdowns himself.
The Panthers would control most of the game, but a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns gave New England the lead with just three minutes and nine seconds remaining in the contest. From there, Newton would don his Superman cape and lead Carolina down the field, where Graham Gano would nail a game-winning 48-yard field goal as time expired.
Unfortunately, Newton’s record against Brady would receive its lone blemish another four years later. The Panthers’ head coach at the time, Matt Rhule, promised that both Newton and Sam Darnold would split reps that day, and he kept his word.
Darnold played the majority of the game, but since Newton was deemed to be the starter, the lopsided 32-6 loss stained what would have otherwise been a perfect record against the game’s greatest signal caller. Had it not been for Rhule’s questionable decision-making, Newton would have been just the third QB in NFL history to finish with a clean head-to-head record against Brady.
Nevertheless, Newton had no issue praising Brady during his latest podcast. “He’s had three Hall of Fame careers, all in one. His 20s, his 30s, and his old ass 40s, were all Hall of Fame careers.”
Suffice to say, it’s a lot easier to praise someone when you’ve got a winning record against them, as it only makes your light shine that much brighter.
