Cam Newton can't help himself sometimes.
The Carolina Panthers' seventh-year quarterback will be watching an NFL game on TV _ or the quarterback on the other sideline _ and will experience a little passing-stats envy.
That was the case last week when he caught part of Ben Roethlisberger's 500-yard game against Baltimore. And it might happen again Sunday when Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers makes his long-anticipated return against Carolina at Bank of America Stadium.
But the feeling seldom lingers long for Newton, who knows the Panthers' offense isn't built for him to put up big numbers like the ones Big Ben accumulated for the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.
"Often times I still find myself looking around the league and looking at other quarterbacks' production and saying, 'Why can't I do this?' or, 'I can do this if that was a given opportunity,' " Newton said this week.
"I'm looking at Ben Roethlisberger the other night, had a monster game. He threw the ball 66 times. No facade _ 66. And I'm looking and I'm saying to myself, that's not me. Taking nothing against the Pittsburgh Steelers because they are an unbelievable team and very fun to watch. But for me it's like, we have to run the football. That's our niche as an offense."
It's also Newton's niche as a quarterback.
As much as some critics want to put Newton in a pocket-passer box, that's not his strong suit. Even during his MVP season of 2015, Newton has never had textbook mechanics and has typically struggled with his accuracy.
But Newton has accomplished things in the run game that no other quarterback _ and in some cases, no running back _ has ever pulled off. And while the narrative surrounding Newton before this season centered on giving him more quick outlets to reduce the pounding he takes, Newton is well aware of what makes him unique.
As he famously said before the season, "Do you expect a lion not to roar?"
"I can get just as sore in the pocket as I can outside the pocket," Newton said this week. "I'm just trying to put as much pressure on the defense and give them certain things that a lot of other quarterbacks can't give them. At the end of the day my job and responsibility is to win football games."
Newton has done that, too.
Newton passed Jake Delhomme this season as the Panthers' winningest quarterback, with a 60-44-1 record as a starter. Since Newton entered the league as the No. 1 pick in 2011, only six teams have a better winning percentage than the Panthers' .573 clip.
"Whatever game plan we've got going in, I always have the (ability) to be able to run the football, me personally," Newton said. "I'm just in it to win football games. I've never really been in it for statistical purposes. I know why I play this game."
