Panthers QB Cam Newton’s passing? His running impressed Tom Coughlin

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton threw for five touchdowns for the third time in a five-game span Sunday. But it was Newton’s running that most impressed New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

Newton became the first player in NFL history to finish with at least 300 yards passing and five touchdowns and also run for at least 100 yards.

Newton carried eight times for 100 yards, including a 47-yard gain on a zone-read play that was the Panthers’ longest rush of the season. Newton also scrambled for 16 yards on a first-quarter run.

“His pulling the ball down and running, that was the blow,” Coughlin said. “We were playing coverage and he pulled the ball down and ran. And once he got started it was hard to stop.”

Newton has won 17 consecutive starts, tied with Peyton Manning for the fourth-longest streak in NFL history. Manning also had a 23-game winning streak that spanned the 2008 and ’09 seasons that is the longest in league history.

This story was originally published December 20, 2015 at 8:37 PM with the headline "Panthers QB Cam Newton’s passing? His running impressed Tom Coughlin."