Cam Newton has been wildly successful this season despite numerous critics of his play. Some of Newton's critics were so harsh that his mentor, Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon, believed their reviews were racially motivated. Newton wouldn't play up the race card in an interview for next month's issue of ESPN The Magazine, instead pointing to people's bias because of past failed high-pick quarterbacks -- although there is a catch to what he says. "I can't sit up here and look at it like, 'Oh man, my critics are racist,'" Newton said. "I blame JaMarcus Russell and to some degree Vince Young. If you have the opportunity to make that kind of money doing something you love to do, why would you screw it up? I'm trying to be a trailblazer. If Baylor's Robert Griffin decides to come out, I want people to say 'He can be the next Cam Newton' instead of 'He's going to be the next JaMarcus Russell.'"

Indianapolis 19, Houston 16 Trench Counter: Colts +1.9, Texans -1.9 The Indianapolis Colts (2-13) won their second straight game with a late score against the Houston Texans (10-5) on Thursday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. Dan Orlovsky connected with Reggie Wayne for a six-yard touchdown with just 19 seconds left in regulation to win the game. Indianapolis racked up 24 first downs, totaled 320 totals and went 7-for-17 on third down. Arian Foster ran all over the Colts to the tune of 158 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries as the Texans averaged 5.5 yards per touch on the ground. Houston managed just six points in the second half on a pair of field goals, and punted twice. Orlovsky led the Colts on a 12-play, 78-yard drive over 97 seconds to ensure the team's second win of the season. Baltimore 20, Cleveland 14 Trench Counter: Ravens +4.1, Browns -4.1 The Baltimore Ravens (11-4) raced out to a 20-0 lead and held on to defeat the Cleveland Browns (4-11) despite a second-half charge. Joe Flacco went 11-for-24 with 132 yards, two touchdowns and an interception as the Ravens totaled 284 yards. Ray Rice helped them control the clock as he ran 23 times for 87 yards and Ricky Williams added 45 yards on 10 touches. Rice was a threat as a receiver as well, catching three passes for 48 yards and a score. Seneca Wallace was serviceable as the starter in place of the injured Colt McCoy. He went 19-for-33 with 147 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Peyton Hillis was Cleveland's leading offensive player with 24 carries for 112 rushing yards. Joshua Cribbs helped put the Browns in good field position often, returning five kicks for a total of 113 yards and one punt 84 yards for a touchdown. Buffalo 40, Denver 14 Trench Counter: Bills +14.3, Broncos -14.3 The Denver Broncos (8-7) took an early lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Tim Tebow, but the Buffalo Bills (6-9) took grabbed the lead in the second quarter and didn't look back. The Bills had just 14 first downs, but racked up 351 total yards and scored a trio of defensive/special teams touchdowns. Leodis McKelvin returned a punt 80 yards, Jairus Byrd returned an interception 37 yards and Spencer Johnson intercepted Tebow for a 17-yard score in the fourth. Tebow had his worst effort as a starter this season, throwing four interceptions. The Buffalo defense sacked him three times and also deflected eight passes. He finished 13-for-30 with 185 yards with his only touchdown coming on a 17-yard connection to Daniel Fells in the third quarter. Carolina 48, Tampa Bay 16 Trench Counter: Panthers +24.5, Buccaneers -24.5 The Carolina Panthers (6-9) thumped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-11) thanks to a strong effort by Cam Newton and their defense. Newton set the NFL rookie passing mark (previously held by Peyton Manning) and accounted for four touchdowns. Newton went 12-for-17 with 171 yards and three passing scores, with six rushes for 65 yards and a score. Carolina's defense recorded three sacks and five tackles for loss. Josh Freeman went 28-for-38 with 274 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while also losing a fumble. Sammie Stroughter and Kellen Winslow also dropped the football for Tampa Bay, which has struggled mightily in the second half of the season. The Panthers scored four straight touchdowns to begin the second half to put the game away. Cincinnati 23, Arizona 16 Trench Counter: Bengals +8.9, Cardinals -8.9 The Cincinnati Bengals (9-6) led 23-0 after the third quarter before the Arizona Cardinals (7-8) put 16 points on the board in the final period. Andy Dalton went 18-for-31 with 154 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, while adding five scrambles for 48 yards. Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott combined to rush 26 times for 85 yards. Jerome Simpson made perhaps the catch of the year in the second quarter on a 19-yard score. With the game out of reach, John Skelton led the Cardinals on three scoring drives in the fourth quarter. He finished 23-for-44 with 297 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Before their first score of the game, Arizona went interception, punt, punt, punt, interception, punt, interception, punt and punt on their first nine possessions. Over that stretch that accumulated just 103 yards. Oakland 16, Kansas City 13 (OT) Trench Counter: Raiders -8.7, Chiefs +8.7 The Kansas City Chiefs (6-9) dominated the box score, but the Oakland Raiders (8-7) came away with the victory at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs forced overtime when Kyle Orton found Dwayne Bowe for a three-yard touchdown with 1:02 left in regulation to tie the score. Less than three minutes into the extra period, Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 36-yard field goal to win the game. Kansas City had twice as many first downs as Oakland and accumulated 435 total yards. Both teams were flagged more than 10 times with the two teams combining for 180 yards penalized. Orton, who started for the Chiefs, went 21-for-36 with 300 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. New England 27, Miami 24 Trench Counter: Patriots +1.9, Dolphins -1.9 Trailing 17-0 at the half, the New England Patriots (12-3) stormed back in the third quarter and held on late to beat the Miami Dolphins (5-10) at Gillette Stadium. New England struggled offensively early, but finished with 26 first downs, 400 total yards and went 8-for-17 on third down. Tom Brady went 27-for-46 with 304 yards and a touchdown as well as 17 yards rushing and two scores. Matt Moore led the Dolphins expertly in the first half, but the Patriots rattled him in the second half. He finished 17-for-33 with 294 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Moore also lost a fumble in the loss. Reggie Bush had yet another exceptional game on the ground, rushing 22 times for 113 yards before leaving late with an injury. Brandon Marshall was Miami's offensive star with seven catches for 156 yards and a score. N.Y. Giants 29, N.Y. Jets 14 Trench Counter: Giants +13.3, Jets -13.3 The New York Giants (8-7) backed up their smack talk against the rival New York Jets (8-7) at their shared home of MetLife Stadium. Eli Manning connected with Victor Cruz for a 99-yard catch-and-run late in the second quarter to give the Giants a lead they would not relinquish. A safety and late touchdown run by Ahmad Bradshaw sealed the victory for the NFC East club. Mark Sanchez helped give the Jets an early 7-0 lead on a five-yard touchdown pass to Josh Baker, but the team didn't score again until midway through the fourth period when Sanchez score from one-yard out. The Jets committed 10 penalties for 95 yards and Sanchez committed three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble). Pittsburgh 27, St. Louis 0 Trench Counter: Steelers +11.8, Rams -11.8 The Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) scored at least three points in each of the game's four quarters as they blanked the St. Louis Rams (2-13) at Heinz Field. With Charlie Batch starting in placed of the injured Ben Roethlisberger (ankle), the Steelers rushed for three touchdowns. John Clay (10 yards), Rashard Mendenhall (one yard) and Isaac Redman (two yards) all scored on the ground. The Rams only managed 232 total yards on 63 plays. The Pittsburgh defense sacked Kellen Clemens three times, had eight tackles for loss and six pass deflections. Clemens went 9-for-24 with 91 yards, while Steven Jackson starred with 24 carries for 103 yards in the loss. Tennessee 23, Jacksonville 17 Trench Counter: Titans +4.2, Jaguars -4.2 The Tennessee Titans (8-7) led 10-0 early and held off the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-11) on Saturday afternoon. The Titans had 407 total yards, but they committed three turnovers. Tennessee didn't commit a single turnover and achieved two more first downs than Jacksonville. Matt Hasselbeck went 24-for-40 with 350 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Tight end Jared Cook was his top target, catching eight passes for 169 yards and a score. Greg Jones scored on a one-yard run with 3:41 left in the fourth quarter to pull Jacksonville to within a score, but the Titans used an eight-play, 45-yard drive to run out the clock and ensure victory. Maurice Jones-Drew carried the ball 24 times for 103 yards and a touchdown, while rookie Blaine Gabbert completed half of his 42 passing attempts for 198 yards and an interception. Minnesota 33, Washington 26 Trench Counter: Vikings +10.7, Redskins -10.7 The Minnesota Vikings (3-12) and Washington Redskins (5-10) were tied early in the fourth quarter, but Joe Webb led the Vikings to a rare win. Both teams flirted with 400 total yards, had 20 or more first downs and they nearly split the time of possession. The Vikings scored in each quarter and the Redskins only failed to score in the first period. Christian Ponder went 8-for-13 before he was sidelined with a concussion. Webb went 4-for-5 with 84 yards and touchdowns in relief, while Toby Gerhart finished with 11 carries for 109 yards on the ground. Adrian Peterson had 12 carries for 38 yards and a touchdown before leaving with a leg injury. Evan Royster started for the Redskins with 132 yards on 19 carries. Detroit 38, San Diego 10 Trench Counter: Lions +14.4, Chargers -14.4 The Detroit Lions (10-5) clinched their first playoff berth since 1999 with a dominant win over the San Diego Chargers (7-8). The Lions led 24-0 at halftime and Cliff Avril returned an interception four yards with less than three minutes left in regulation to seal the victory. Matthew Stafford finished 29-for-36 with 373 yards and three touchdowns, with Calvin Johnson leading the way (four receptions for 102 yards and a score). San Diego rallied with 10 straight points in the third quarter, pulling them to within two possessions, but Kevin Smith scored a touchdown for Detroit a little more than four minutes later to swing the momentum. Detroit amassed 440 total yards and went an impressive 9-for-13 on third down. Philadelphia 20, Dallas 7 Trench Counter: Eagles +7.8, Cowboys -7.8 Having been eliminated from the playoff race earlier in the afternoon, the Philadelphia Eagles (7-8) thumped the indifferent Dallas Cowboys (8-7) in Arlington, Texas. The Eagles held the Cowboys scoreless until seven seconds remaining when Stephen McGee connected with Miles Austin for a four-yard touchdown. McGee replaced Tony Romo in the first half. Dallas had little to gain from a win or loss. Michael Vick went 18-for-32 with 293 yards and two touchdowns. He scrambled just three times for 10 yards. Dallas held LeSean McCoy in check as he tallied just 35 yards on 13 carries. Vick shared the wealth nicely, with DeSean Jackson (five receptions for 90 yards), Jeremy Maclin (72 yards and a touchdown) and Brent Celek (52 yards and a score) having productive afternoons. The Philadelphia defense had three sacks and eleven quarterback hits in the victory. San Francisco 19, Seattle 17 Trench Counter: 49ers +6.2, Seahawks -6.2 The San Francisco 49ers (12-3) allowed their first rushing touchdown of the season, but still came out victorious against the Seattle Seahawks (7-8) at CenturyLink Field. David Akers kicked a 39-yard field goal with 2:57 left in regulation to give San Francisco the win. The game-winning kick came less than four minutes after Marshawn Lynch found the end zone on a four-yard dash. San Francisco had seven more first downs, close to 100 more total yards and went 2-for-3 on fourth down. Frank Gore had 23 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown, while Lynch finished with 21 touches for 107 yards and a score.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton set an NFL record for passing yards by a rookie on Saturday afternoon. Newton hit Brandon LaFell with a seven-yard pass to break Peyton Manning's record of 3,739 passing yards.

With Cam Newton under center, the Panthers used a trick play from a popular kids movie to score a touchdown against the Texans. Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski borrowed a hidden-ball trick play loosely adapted from a play called "the annexation of Puerto Rico" from the 1994 movie the Little Giants to help his team beat the Texans 28-13. The play resulted in a seven-yard touchdown run by fullback Richie Brockel. "Cam's ability to run and throw, it just adds another dimension," coach Ron Rivera said. "It has been kind of neat to see the different things we've been able to do with him over the course of the season and show he's an integral part of what we are and what we're going to become." The Panthers ran the play in the second quarter of Sunday's game against Texans while leading 14-0 and faced with a second-and-6 at the Texans 7-yard line.

Panthers tight end Jeremy Shockey criticized members of the Texans for not putting their hands over their hearts during the national anthem on Sunday. Shockey says he saw "about 10 players" who didn't do the traditional gesture when the anthem is played and he told some of them how he felt during Carolina's 28-13 victory. "I was pretty upset in the way they weren't showing respect to America during the national anthem," Shockey said. "This is America and you should at least give respect to America." Shockey's rant came in response to a reporter's question about Houston's defense. "This is America and this is just a game and they should not only be very proud of this country, but very gifted to be living here," Shockey said. "Maybe they just forgot to do it or something, but I don't see how you could forget to do that." Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans fired back at Shockey when he heard of the comments. "If he's so patriotic, why was he looking at our bench instead of the flag?" Ryans said. "Where did he come up with the number 10? Was he counting? Why was he paying attention to us during the national anthem?"

Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith doesn't believe there is any comparison between quarterbacks Cam Newton and Tim Tebow. "If Tebow is standing next to me I would tell it to his face -- come check me out in five years, Jack, and you'll know who's the best quarterback," Smith said. Newton is 4-9 as a starter, although he's put up incredible individual numbers. He has a chance to become the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards and run for 500 in the same season. Tebow is 6-1 as a starter this year for Denver with five impressive come-from-behind victories, but Smith believes Denver's defense isn't getting enough credit for the Broncos playoff push.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera believes rookie quarterback Cam Newton is deserving of the Pro Bowl. Newton ranks third in the balloting at quarterback in the NFC behind Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, two players who are viewed as locks to make the team. Newton set a league record this season for touchdown runs by a quarterback with 13 and needs just 167 yards passing to break Peyton Manning's rookie passing record. "I think he's deserving, I really do," Rivera said.

Katie Brown, a 16-year-old fan, agreed to give back a special football during Sunday's game between the Panthers and Buccaneers. Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton ran across the end zone after his NFL record-setting 13th rushing touchdown Sunday at Tampa Bay and handed the ball to Brown. Carolina assistant equipment manager Don Toner had the awkward job of asking Brown for the ball. "The funny thing is when Cam scored and started running over there, we're all yelling, 'Oh no, don't,'" Toner said. "It was like watching it happen in slow motion. It was painful." Brown was given a game ball and four hats for pairing with the football. "I just asked her real nice, 'Would you mind exchanging that ball -- we kind of need it,'" Toner said. "And she was real sweet about it. She didn't hesitate. She was so excited, she was trembling. She was just giddy about what had just happened." Miles said the team also plans to send Brown something in the mail.

Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton ran for three more touchdowns to set the NFL single-season record for TDs rushing by a quarterback. Newton scored the 11th, 12th and 13th TDs of his career on a trio of 1-yard runs. He also had his first reception as a pro to set up Jonathan Stewart's first-quarter TD, then threw a 19-yard TD pass to Legedu Naanee to finish one of Carolina's three scoring drives of 80-plus yards. "I wouldn't say it's easier each week. It's a challenge each and every week," Newton said. "The one thing I've seemed to get is more comfortable," the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft added." Dictating to the defense to some degree with your eyes, the pre-snap reads. The only difference in the NFL and college is the athleticism increases at each position."