Newton, Stewart run through Vikes’ streak

PANTHERS 31, VIKINGS 24

CHARLOTTE, N.C.» Cam Newton delivered the body blow, and Jonathan Stewart provided the knockout punch.

Newton’s 62-yard run set up Stewart’s 1-yard touchdown leap — his third TD run of the day — with 1:47 remaining to lift the Carolina Panthers to a 3124 victory Sunday, snapping the Minnesota Vikings’ eight-game win streak.

Stewart accounted for 103 of Carolina’s 216 yards rushing — including a 60yard touchdown burst in the first quarter — against the league’s secondranked defense, as the Panthers prevented the Vikings (10-3) from clinching the NFC North division title.

But it was Newton’s run that turned out to be the play of the game.

After Carolina (9-4) squandered an 11-point fourth-quarter lead, Newton rolled out to his left, saw an opening and the 6-foot-5, 245-pound quarterback was off to the races before being pulled down from behind at the Vikings 8-yard line.

Newton joked after the game that he got tackled on purpose.

“It was very strategic, when I think back,” the 2015 league MVP said with a smile. “Because if I would have scored, they would have had all of their timeouts left. So I felt like, hey, let me flip this car back into third gear.”

The Vikings did use all of their timeouts, but the Panthers still scored. The Vikings turned the ball over on downs on their final possession.

“There’s only one guy in the league that is doing that,” tight end Greg Olsen said of Newton’s scramble. “We had everything against us and we had struggled out last three possessions. And for him to pop something that like, that was huge.”