Newton paces Panthers to first-round bye

Cam Newton raced from one end of the Carolina Panthers' sideline to the other in the final moments of a 38-0 rout of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, raising his arms to the crowd as fans cheered on their emotional MVP candidate.

"I believe right now it's our moment as Panthers," Newton said with a smile as he praised the team's fan base following his victory run. "We try to seize it as much as possible."

Newton - and the fans - had plenty of reason to celebrate.