Newton is in charge in Panthers’ victory

TAMPA, Fla. — Cam Newton is playing some of the best football of his career, and the surging Carolina Panthers are back over .500 for the first time in five years.

An efficient Newton threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to pace a 31-13 victory against the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Panthers (4-3) won for the fourth time in five games following an 0-2 start. They’ve won three games in a row, with Newton throwing for 667 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Buccaneers (0-7), one of two NFL teams yet to win, have dropped the first seven games in a season for the seventh time in franchise history.

They’ve lost 12 of 13 dating to last year, and some fans showed up at Raymond James Stadium carrying signs and wearing paper bags over their heads urging that second-year coach Greg Schiano be fired.

Newton tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Greg Olsen in the first quarter and added a 3-yarder to Mike Tolbert on the first play of the fourth quarter for a 28-6 lead.

Newton had his way against the Buccaneers in between those scores, too, setting up a nifty 12-yard touchdown run by DeAngelo Williams and getting into the end zone himself with a 6-yard run in the third quarter.

The third-year quarterback completed 23 of 32 passes for 221 yards. He also rushed for a teamhigh 50 yards on 11 attempts.

Rookie Mike Glennon threw for 275 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in his fourth start for Tampa Bay, which trailed 31-6 before finally getting into the end zone on Tim Wright’s 10-yard reception with just under 3 minutes remaining.

The victory lifted Carolina over .500 for the first time since 2008, when the Panthers finished 12-4.