time after getting first-round

Panthers offensive coordinator Norv Turner has no plans to restrict Cam Newton’s ability to make plays with his feet. As for the quarterback’s throwing motion Dolphins Game Jerseys , well that might need a little tweaking.

The 65-year-old Turner said he returned to coaching because of an opportunity to work again with Panthers coach Ron Rivera – who was on his coaching staff for four seasons in San Diego – and to coach the talented group of offensive players led by Newton.

”He’s an amazing player for his position,” Turner said Tuesday on a conference call.

The versatile 6-foot-5, 245-pound Newton has carried the ball 828 times over the past seven seasons – by far the most in the league by a quarterback during that span. By comparison, Seattle’s Russell Wilson has run the ball 578 times during his six seasons in the league.

While it’s logical to question how much pounding Newton’s body can take – he turns 29 in May – it’s also hard to argue with his success.

He’s averaged 5.2 yards per carry and has scored 54 touchdowns rushing, which is the most by a QB in NFL history. And Newton tends to play better when he’s more involved in the running game.

”He’s a real threat to defenses,” Tuner said. ”So he will always have that threat to run.”

That should be music to Newton’s ears.

After Newton carried the ball a career-high 139 times last season and led the Panthers in rushing with 754 yards, he said ”that’s my edge.”

”I wouldn’t expect you or anybody else to take it away,” Newton said following Carolina’s season-ending playoff loss at New Orleans. ”And when I say you, I mean the media as a whole. I’m comfortable running the football, I feel like I help the team when I’m running the football, and as long as I’m playing this game, I’m going to run the football.”

Turner suggested that he and his son Scott Turner, the team’s new quarterbacks coach, will look to improve Newton’s throwing mechanics.

Because he’s so big Newton has a tendency to rely on his strong arm and throw off his back foot, often resulting in high throws that lead to incompletions or interceptions. Turner said that while sometimes those types of throws are necessary under pressure, the staff ”is going to work hard to get his weight transferred and have good technique when he is throwing.”

Turner said the Panthers overall system won’t change much, although he wants to be able to stretch the field vertically to force defenses to cover the entire field.

He believes Newton has the arm strength to do that.

Turner said he had a brief conversation with Newton after being hired.

”We didn’t get into a lot of football,” Turner said. ”As he expressed to me – and I feel the same way – there is excitement and nervousness. When you have change there is nervousness. Sometimes that nervousness is good and it gets your attention. It’s not status quo and you use that as a time to improve.”

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JACKSONVILLE (11-6) at PITTSBURGH (13-3)

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

OPENING LINE – Steelers by 6

RECORD VS. SPREAD – Jaguars 9-8, Steelers 7-9

SERIES RECORD – Jaguars lead 13-11

LAST MEETING – Jaguars beat Steelers 30-9 Vikings Game Jerseys , Oct. 8, 2017

LAST WEEK – Jaguars beat Bills 10-3; Steelers had bye

AP PRO32 RANKING – Jaguars No. 10, Steelers No. 2

JAGUARS OFFENSE – OVERALL (6), RUSH (1), PASS (17)

JAGUARS DEFENSE – OVERALL (2), RUSH (21), PASS (1)

STEELERS OFFENSE – OVERALL (3), RUSH (20), PASS (3)

STEELERS DEFENSE – OVERALL (5), RUSH (10), PASS (5)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES – Second postseason meeting between teams. Jacksonville stunned Pittsburgh 31-29 at Heinz Field in wild-card round of 2007 playoffs. … Steelers seeking second straight AFC title game appearance. Jaguars have reached AFC title game twice (1996, 1999). … Jaguars are 6-6 all-time in postseason. Steelers are 35-25. … Jacksonville dominated regular-season visit to Pittsburgh, picking off five Ben Roethlisberger passes, including pair of second-half pickp6s that turned 9-7 deficit into 20-9 lead. Five interceptions were franchise-record for single game. … Jaguars rookie RB Leonard Fournette ran for season-high 181 yards and two scores vs. Steelers in October. … Jaguars shut down Buffalo in 10-3 victory last week, limiting Bills to 263 yards. … Jacksonville QB Blake Bortles one of only three QBs in NFL history to run for more yards (88) than he passed (87) for in playoff victory, joining Michael Vick (2005) and Otto Graham (1950). … Jaguars have only won multiple playoff games in same postseason once (1996). … Forecast is temperature expected to be in teens. Jaguars are 1-8 all-time when temperature is 32 degrees or lower at kickoff. … Jacksonville dropped last three road games of regular season. … Steelers are 9-1 all-time after getting first-round bye. Only loss came in 1993 divisional round against Buffalo. … Pittsburgh led NFL with franchise-record 56 sacks. Jaguars finished second with 55. … Steelers are 8-4 in playoff games at Heinz Field, winning five of last six. … Pittsburgh playing in 61st playoff game, tied with Dallas for most in NFL history. … Steelers are 16-9 in divisional round, including 12-2 mark at home. … Steelers WR Antonio Brown expects to play. All-Pro missed final two games with left calf injury. … Brown only player in NFL history with five straight seasons with 100-plus receptions. … Pittsburgh RB Le’Veon Bell averaged 109 yards rushing in three playoff games last season. … Roethlisberger is 13-7 in the playoffs. Win would tie him with Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw for most by QB in playoffs in team history. … Roethlisberger tied with Dan Marino for fifth-most playoff completions in NFL history (385). … Pittsburgh K Chris Boswell has made all 15 field goals in playoffs. … Steelers DE Cam Heyward’s 12 sacks most by Pittsburgh defensive lineman since Keith Willis had 12 in 1986.

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