The Facts:
Newton was a bad teammate last season. Never mind the ridiculous numbers he put up and helped his teammates compile. Never mind the highlight plays. Never mind the Rookie of the Year award he earned. He was a bad teammate and that needs to change. Just ask him. "I was very immature," Newton said when asked about his sometimes moody reaction as losses piled up. "I'll be the first one to tell you, the pouting and the moping, I kind of overdid it. I know that. I was a bad teammate. I shut off to some people who gave unbelievable effort. … That's where I have to mature."
Reported by Yahoo! Sports
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
Newton complaining about his postgame behavior in the face of some narrow losses misses the point. The Panthers are a much better team with him under center. But as Yahoo's Jason Cole notes, this is one of the things Newton knows he has to work on if the full picture is going to come into focus. Newton doesn't want to be some freakishly talented athlete who just puts up numbers and gets all sorts of attention. That's why, even as he set one record after another, throwing 21 touchdown passes and rushing for 15 more, his attitude got increasingly dour. He wants to win. There will be a major difference between this year and last year, however -- a change that could lead to more on-field success for Newton and the team. A full offseason to prepare.
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