Protection » Duncan, the teams leading rusher this season

CHARLOTTE, N.C. --?Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton wasnt in the mood on Wednesday to talk about helmet-to-helmet hits, fines, the concussion protocol or anything that had to do with last weeks 21-20 loss to Denver.We are dwelling on something I dont want to dwell on the NFL MVP said as he looked ahead to Sundays home opener. My focus is the?San Francisco 49ers defense and the team that shut out the Los Angeles Rams. I gain nothing ... talking about the past.The NFL is going to do their investigation and I know wholeheartedly that [head athletic trainer] Ryan Vermillion and his staff did an exceptional job of protecting me along with other players. My focus is trying to win football games through all of the hits and everything else. My job is to collect wins.That was Newtons response to almost every question about what happened at Denver, including the fines the NFL gave to Denver safety Darian Stewart and linebacker Brandon Marshall for illegal helmet-to-helmet hits.Stewart was fined $18,231 for his hit in the final minute that left Newton facedown in the grass while teammates and officials ran over to check on him.Marshall was fined $24,309 for a third-quarter hit even though a flag wasnt thrown.Two other helmet-to-helmet hits on Newton didnt draw a fine or a penalty.Newton didnt have an opinion either way.My job is to win football games for the Carolina Panthers, and thats all Im trying to do, he said. Im not trying to be a lawyer or trying to lobby for this person or that person. Everybody has a job to do from refs to the commissioner to head coach to general managers.But my job as a quarterback is dissect the San Francisco 49ers defense this week and make sure the Carolina Panthers fans are happy at the end of Sunday.Newtons teammates havent been so quiet. Several have said officials treat their quarterback unfairly when it comes to such hits.Hes treated like a running back -- and hes not, Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen said Monday. They say, Oh, but he runs the ball so much. Every single one of those times [he had a helmet-to-helmet hit] he was playing quarterback.I dont give a s--- if he ran the ball 10 plays in a row as a running back. When he is a passer, he is a passer. Period.Carolina center Ryan Kalil said Tuesday on SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio that the NFL has got to do a better job at protecting quarterbacks.If they are going to sit in there, in the offseason especially, and have these rally cries about player safety, player safety, but theyre not going to do anything about it on the field, then it is just lip service, Kalil said.Kalil said on Wednesday the answer is full-time officials.Its absurd to me that as much money as there is in this sport, and as much that is on the line, that these guys are not full time, he said. I dont think it is fair to the game, I dont think it is fair to the refs.Carolina coach Ron Rivera said Newton doesnt get the benefit of calls because at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, hes bigger than most quarterbacks and because he runs so much in the read-option offense.Newton ran 11 times against Denver.Theres a little bit of prejudice to that, Rivera said last week. Its kind of like what happened to [former NBA star] Shaquille ONeal. Heres a big, physical basketball player and he goes to set a pick, a guy falls down and they call a foul on him. He goes to shoot a little layup and gets hacked and hammered and they dont call it.Rivera said Newton looked good in Wednesdays practice. Newton said he felt unbelievable six days after being hit 17 times -- the second-most of his career -- on runs, sacks and passes.From his viewpoint, the referees and officials did everything they were supposed to throughout the game as it pertained to checking for a concussion.I was asked on the sideline about awareness and my ability to keep going from the referee, as well as the training staff, Newton said. There is no doubt that everything will work out in itself. There is no question that I took a couple of hits to the head, but I dont think I showed any signs of being concussed.It was no wooziness. ... I understand I was kind of hurt, but that comes with football and it being a contact sport. Sf Air Force 1 Canada . Miller finished in two minutes, 6.09 seconds, one day before the first medal race on the Alpine schedule. The 36-year-old American also turned in the top time in Thursdays opening training session. Air Force 1 Just Do It For Sale Canada .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. http://www.airforce1canadasale.com/air-force-1-high-canada.html . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU. Nike Air More Money Canada . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. Lunar Force 1 Canada . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU. DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke isnt just losing games these days. Its also losing captains.The Blue Devils named four captains before the season and three of them are out with season-ending injuries. That leaves defensive tackle A.J. Wolf as the only one of those leaders healthy enough to play this week against No. 23 Virginia Tech.Being the last captain standing is definitely not a good feeling, Wolf said Tuesday, but Im going to do my best to hold the torch and keep on going strong for the team.Coach David Cutcliffe said none of the teams in his three-plus-decade coaching career have ever dealt with this many losses to a corps of captains.Ive also never been around resilient young people like this 2016 team, he added. Our leadership is strong, our spirits are strong, and therefore were going to continue to work.And while it might make for a more lonely experience at the pre-game coin toss -- Im a heads guy, Wolf quipped -- and has led to questions about whether the captaincy is cursed, it also underscores why Duke (3-5, 0-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) is in jeopardy of missing the postseason for the first time since 2011.The Blue Devils lost three of four in October to fall into last place in the Coastal Division, and are the only ACC team without a win in league play. It certainly wont be easy to find that victory against the division leading Hokies (6-2, 4-1), who have won two straight to claim the inside track to a berth in the ACC championship game.I dont think anybodys very far ahead of anybody else in this division, Tech coach Justin Fuente said.But the Blue Devils arent just missing leaders. Theyre also missing some of their best players.The preseason selections of quarterback Thomas Sirk, defensive back DeVon Edwards, running back Jela Duncan and Wolf seemed obvious because of their contributionss both in leadership roles and on the field.ddddddddddddSirk, who was third in the ACC in total offense last season and led the team in rushing, was the first to go down. He first tore his left Achilles tendon in February, then reinjured it during the preseason . Edwards, whose six career kickoff returns for touchdowns rank third in NCAA Division I history, tore ligaments in his left knee during a win at Notre Dame in September. And Duncan, the teams leading rusher this season, ruptured an Achilles tendon during last weeks loss at Georgia Tech .Its a bummer when you lose not just good leaders but good players, Wolf said. Theyre definitely talented guys, but with that being said, I think it gives opportunities for some other guys to step in.Theyre still leaning on those injured captains for their advice, with Cutcliffe saying Duncan was dispensing advice in the training room earlier Tuesday.These are guys that could just check out, Cutcliffe said. But they dont.The Blue Devils also are looking for more leadership -- and production -- from the players who can play. Some apparent candidates include sophomore linebacker Ben Humphreys, the teams leading tackler, and defensive backs Corbin McCarthy and Breon Borders.Guys dont have to be honorary captains to step up, Wolf said. You can step up in practice, even if youre a young guy. Motivate guys and just make plays out there. So I think some guys are doing that.---AP Sports Writer Hank Kurz Jr. in Blacksburg, Virginia, contributed to this report.---Follow Joedy McCreary at http://twitter.com/joedyap. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/joedy-mccreary---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '