Cam Newton took the blame for the Carolina Panthers' 20-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.

He also insisted that his surgically repaired shoulder and recently injured foot were not to blame for his poor performance. Newton had 15 off-target throws, the most since Mitchell Trubisky in Week 7 last season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

"Through my lens, it's hard to look defensive guys in the eyes after a game like this," said Newton, who completed 25 of 51 pass attempts for 333 yards and no touchdowns as the Panthers fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2013. "Offensively, we didn't hold up our end of the bargain.

"All fingers are just pointing back to me specifically on offense."