CHARLOTTE, N. Phil Simms Jersey .C. - While Cam Newton admits hes not been 100 per cent in a long time, the Panthers two-time Pro Bowl quarterback refused to use that as an excuse for his struggles during a four-game losing streak.Newton took blame Wednesday for the teams poor play.Everybody wants to ask questions about why are the Panthers struggling on offence and the first person you are going to look at is the quarterback — and I understand that, Newton said.I will be the first person to admit I havent been playing great and I know that. I will take that responsibility and tell you that things will be better in the future.The fourth-year pro has completed just 52 per cent of his passes for three touchdowns and six interceptions over the past four games, and Carolina (3-6-1) has fallen out of first place in the NFC South entering Sundays game against Atlanta.The Panthers rank 25th in total offence following a stretch in which they are 1-6-1 in their past eight games.Its been a trying season for Newton.He had ankle surgery in March and broke his ribs in the preseason, forcing him out of the season opener.Hes played in the past nine games, but his mobility in the pocket has been limited. Newton averaged 677 yards rushing in his first three seasons and scored 28 touchdowns. This year, he has just 263 yards rushing and two TDs.Newton is on pace to be sacked a career-high 48 times playing behind an inexperienced, banged-up offensive line.Newton was sacked nine times in Carolinas 45-21 loss to Philadelphia on Monday night, failing to sidestep oncoming pass rushers as he has in the past and leading to some reports that more injuries are the reason hes not been as productive this season.Newton said new injuries arent the problem.If you ask me if Cam Newton is hurt, yes, Im hurt, Newton said. Thats in all honesty. But can I play? Yes, I can play and I will be playing. Its mind over matter. ... Thats not an excuse for me to be playing the type of football that Im playing.Coach Ron Rivera said he trusts Newton to tell him if he cant play.In the meantime, Rivera plans to continue to evaluate Newton in practice and continue to play him even when things arent going well. Rivera kept Newton in the game against the Eagles in the fourth quarter with the Panthers down 45-7.Hes the type of young man you want on the football field, and thats leading by example, Newton said. This game is different now. When you get players that want to step up and play hurt, that is a warrior mentality that seems to be lost a little bit.Newton said being sacked so many times this season hasnt left him shell-shocked.It cant, Newton said. That is what separates the good quarterbacks from the ones that are so successful. You have to be able to stare down the barrel and complete a pass. You cant be gun shy or have happy feet in the pocket because at the end of the day its all about trust.Newton said he needs to do a better job of protecting the football, checking down to his running backs and executing the offence.Linebacker Thomas Davis said players in the Carolina locker room have immense respect for Newtons toughness and leadership, and that he shouldnt be bearing the brunt of the criticism.He said its the team that struggled.Weve got Cams back 100 per cent, Davis said. Were not pointing the finger at him. We have games weve won this year because the offence played well. We had a game at Cincinnati where the offence put up 37 points and (the defence) didnt hold up our end.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Julian Love Cheap Jersey .Just like old times.Only this time, just one got to enjoy a victory.James return to Miami as an opponent was a success — for the Heat, that is. Wade scored 24 of his 31 points in the first half, Luol Deng had 25 points and dogged James defensively all night, and the Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-91 in a hyped Christmas matchup Thursday. Phil McConkey Giants Jersey . Or at least on everyone elses expectations. Costa Rica followed up its surprise win over Uruguay with another World Cup stunner on Friday, beating four-time champion Italy 1-0 to secure a spot in the next round and eliminate England in the process. http://www.giantsonlineteamshop.com/doug-kotar-jersey-cheap.html . Following the Ford Womens World Curling Championship gold medal match that attracted record-breaking audiences to TSN, the networks exclusive live coverage of the tournament begins Saturday at 7am et/4am pt with Canadas opening draw against Denmark.The Toronto Maple Leafs will have to look for centre options in light of Nazem Kadris three game suspension. Kadri was dressed in a green jersey at Thursdays practice and skated as an extra forward on the teams fourth line as the Leafs.. Kadri was handed a three-game suspension by the league for his hit to Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom during Wednesday nights game. Kadri was also assessed a match penalty later in Wednesday nights game for a hit to the head of Wild forward Mikael Granlund. James van Riemsdyk lined up between Phil Kessel and Mason Raymond at Leafs practice on Thursday. Jay McClement moved up to the second line, centring Joffrey Lupul and David Clarkson. Jerred Smithson centred Carter Ashton and Nikolai Kulemin on the third line, while Kadri skated on a fourth line that included Troy Bodie in between Frazer McLaren and Colton Orr. The Leafs are alreaady stretched thin at centre thanks to injuries to Tyler Bozak and Dave Bolland. Odell Beckham Jr Jersey. Bozak resumed on-ice activity this week but is still nursing a lower body injury. He was placed on the injured reserve on Oct. 27 and was expected to miss at least 7-10 days. Bolland will be out indefinitely with a leg laceration he suffered in Saturdays game against the Vancouver Canucks. He was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 4 and is expected to be out for a matter of months. Other centre-ice options for the Leafs include moving Raymond to the middle from his more familiar position on the wing like they did with van Riemsdyk. Another option is Trevor Smith, who is currently with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. Smith has one goal in nine games with the Leafs this season. If the Leafs look beyond Smith to the Marlies, their current crop of centres includes Sam Carrick, Andrew Crescenzi and Greg McKegg. ' ' '