Newton takes responsibility for penalty after taking questionable hit

Cam Newton didn't make any excuses for his reaction to a helmet-to-helmet play that wasn't flagged by the officiating staff in Monday night's win over the Washington Redskins.

The Carolina Panthers quarterback, who drew a penalty of his own for flipping the ball toward the defender after taking a hit while sliding to the ground, explained after the game that he was in the wrong regardless of the missed call.

"I've got to be better than that," Newton said, according to David Newton of ESPN. "That just can't happen on my part. I just have to let the referees do their job, and obviously, it was a questionable hit, but I can't throw the ball at a person. That's against the rules too."

Newton has been the recipient of a number of such hits throughout the season, and the frequency in which officials have opted against throwing the flag has brought even more attention to the issue.

Concerns over his safety and the fun being drained from the game at one point even led the defending MVP to seek a discussion with commissioner Roger Goodell.

Though league officials evidently still have a long way to go in addressing the issue, Newton's focus after Carolina's impressive prime-time victory remained solely on his actions.

"I'm not going to beat a dead horse. I just can't retaliate in that way; I'm better than that, I know I am," Newton said. "I can't jeopardize that type of play for my team."

Carolina's second consecutive win moved the club move to 6-8 on the year.