Cam Newton: Panthers must limit mistakes in playoffs

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cam Newton said if the Panthers hope to make a deep playoff run they’ll need to cut down on mistakes and make more plays on offense Saturday at Seattle.

Carolina turned over the ball three times on Saturday against Arizona but managed to escape with a 27-16 win thanks to a defense that limited quarterback Ryan Lindley and the Cardinals to 78 yards, the fewest allowed in NFL postseason history.

“Those things can’t happen, especially in playoff football. We can’t expect to win when we have three turnovers,” Newton said after his first career playoff win.

The Panthers will face the Seahawks in the NFC divisional playoffs. Carolina lost to Seattle in each of the past three seasons by a total of 13 points, including a 13-9 defeat on Oct. 26 in Charlotte. All three of those losses were in Charlotte.

Coach Ron Rivera called Seattle “one of the toughest places in the NFL to play” in a statement released through the team on Sunday night.

“You are playing a great team in front of a loud crowd,” Rivera said. “ … We’ll just have to deal with it. They are a good team wherever you play them.”