Spokesman-Review
National Football League
Carolina 16, Jacksonville 10
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 25, 2011
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Temperature: 75°
Head Official: Bill Leavy
Attendance: 71704

Top overall selection Cam Newton overcame a rough game to lead a fourth-quarter comeback as the Carolina Panthers defeated Blaine Gabbert and the Jacksonville Jaguars 16-10 on Sunday in a matchup of quarterbacks picked in the first round of this year's draft.

A torrential rain fell for most of the first half, leaving a wet, sloppy field at Bank of America Stadium.

Newton, who led the NFC in passing yards after back-to-back 400-yard passing games, struggled for most of the day Sunday. With 4:20 remaining, Newton capped a scoring drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Olsen to give Carolina (1-2) the lead.

Newton finished with 158 passing yards, becoming the first NFL rookie to pass for over 1,000 yards in his first three games.

Making his first start, Gabbert got off to a rocky beginning when he was sacked for a safety. He rebounded to throw his first career touchdown pass on the final play of the first half to give the Jaguars (1-2) a 10-5 lead.

With six seconds left in the half, Gabbert hit Mike Thomas at about the 5-yard line, and Thomas splashed into the end zone for a 36-yard score.

Top Game Performances
Rushing
Jacksonville   Carolina
Maurice Jones-Drew Player Jonathan Stewart
24 Attempts 10
122 Yards 59
5.1 Avg Yards 5.9
0 Touchdowns 0
39 Long 20
Receiving
Jacksonville   Carolina
Mike Thomas Player Greg Olsen
4 Receptions 7
55 Yards 57
13.8 Avg Yards 8.1
1 Touchdowns 1
36 Long 16
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Jacksonville 257 128 129 1 1 0 0.0 0
Carolina 265 107 158 1 2 1 2.0 1
Upcoming Games
  • Carolina will play their next game on the road against Chicago. The Panthers have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
  • Jacksonville will play their next game at home against New Orleans. The Jaguars have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.