THERE IS NO DOUBTING CAM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- On a recent afternoon, after heavy rains nearly thwarted a Carolina Panthers practice, rookie quarterback Cam Newton glumly trudged into a half-empty news conference room beneath Bank of America Stadium. It surely wasn't the dismal weather that had him so down. Instead, his sour face probably involved facing more questions during a season in which he already has lost more games than in his entire college career. As Newton leaned against a tiny lectern, he looked about as cheery as a 10-year-old who'd just learned his new bike had been stolen.


The hardest thing for Newton to grasp -- even in the midst of a season where Carolina is now 2-5 following Sunday's 33-20 win over Washington -- is that there should be plenty of optimism stirring in this franchise. In just seven weeks, he has gone from being the most scrutinized No. 1 overall pick in NFL draft history to being hailed as a burgeoning superstar.

CARRY ON

Carolina 33 Washington 20

Washington @ Carolina GAMEDAY Preview

Despite being a half-game out of first place in the NFC East, the Washington Redskins are making a quarterback change. The Carolina Panthers have been generally pleased with their rookie quarterback, but they're facing a sizable deficit in the NFC South. John Beck will make his first start in four years for the Redskins on Sunday when they visit Cam Newton and the Panthers, who are coming off yet another disheartening loss.

Rex Grossman beat out Beck for the starting job during the preseason, but he fell out of favor with coach Mike Shanahan after throwing four interceptions in a 20-13 loss to Philadelphia last Sunday. The defeat dropped Washington (3-2) just behind New York for the top spot in the division. Beck replaced Grossman at the start of the fourth quarter and led the Redskins to their only touchdown. In two series, he went 8 of 15 for 117 yards and scored on a two-yard run. The 30-year-old former second-round pick is now set to make his first start since he was a rookie with Miami in 2007. He went 0-4 as a starter for a one-win Dolphins team.

"Definitely excited. There's been a lot of hard work that's gone into this," Beck said. "You never know when your opportunity's going to come, and you've always got to stay ready. I've tried to do that."

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Newton Prepares For Trip Home To Atlanta

The Carolina Panthers have embraced all of what Cam Newton can do. The rookie quarterback has not only put up record numbers passing, but also has been the Panthers' primary weapon in the red zone. He has rushed for five of the team's six touchdowns leaving him one shy of Chris Weinke's single-season franchise record. Newton will get to showcase his NFL versatility in front of family and friends when he returns home to face the Atlanta Falcons Sunday at the Georgia Dome — not far from where he grew up in College Park, Ga., and later arrived on the national stage at Auburn.

When asked if he's been bombarded with ticket requests for his return home, Newton simply smiled and said, "StubHub."

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New Orleans @ Carolina

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints have had little trouble piling up yards, points and victories. The Carolina Panthers have been almost as efficient at moving the ball down the field behind rookie Cam Newton, but costly mistakes have subsequently resulted in fewer scores and wins. In a matchup between two potent offenses from the NFC South, Brees looks to lead the Saints to a fourth straight victory Sunday against Newton and the Panthers, who are coming off another disappointing defeat. New Orleans (3-1) is second in the league in offense, averaging 471.5 yards, while Carolina is third with an average of 451.8. The Saints, who swept the season series from the Panthers last year for the first time since 2001, are also near the top of the NFL in scoring, ranking fifth with an average of 31.8 points. The Panthers (1-3), however, are well off that pace at 17th with an average of 22.3 points.

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Carolina's offensive shortcomings were on full display in last Sunday's 34-29 loss to Chicago.

Grin & Bear It, Mistakes On Special Teams Cost Carolina In 34-29 Loss To Bears

Mistakes on special teams play proved costly today as the Carolina Panthers lost to the Chicago Bears 34-29 in Soldier Field. Devin Hester had two long returns -- including a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown -- as the Bears handed the Panthers' their second road loss of the young season. The Bears decided what had been a tight game with a three-yard touchdown run by Marion Barber with 1:23 remaining. We were trying to limit (Hester's) opportunities and we didn't do a good enough job," head coach Ron Rivera said. "We have to get better at that. That falls on me personally. We had a plan and felt good about the plan but unfortunately we didn't execute the way we needed to.

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