Panthers' Ryan Kalil: 'Cam's not the quitting type'

Whether it's fair or not, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton endured plenty of criticism for his subpar performance in a 24-10 defeat to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.

The NFL MVP never established a rhythm, going 18-of-41 for 265 yards and an interception, and fumbling twice as Super Bowl MVP Von Miller wreaked havoc on the Panthers' offense.

On Newton's second lost fumble, which came in the fourth quarter, the Panthers quarterback appeared to hesitate instead of diving to recover the ball after it came loose, and Broncos safety T.J. Ward pounced on it.

Newton was scrutinized for his perceived lack of effort, a notion Panthers center Ryan Kalil vehemently disagreed with.

"Cam's not the quitting type. So this idea or this notion that he quit on us is garbage. I think it's absolute garbage. That’s not who he is," Kalil said Monday to Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer.

"We just didn't play good enough. And as an offensive line group, didn't give him enough confidence to do what he does best. And really we just didn’t get in a rhythm. That's what killed us. Any time we had any kind of momentum, we killed ourselves in penalties and not taking care of the football."

Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said Newton was trying to track the ball before Ward recovered it for the Broncos.

"He's trying to stay alive and get a chance to pick it up. And someone came diving in so he backed up and tried to see where it ended up, and then seeing it go flying out," Rivera said. "Again, he’s just trying to find an opportunity to pick it up."

Newton captured NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors in a season that ought not to be diminished due to the team's Super Bowl loss. Nonetheless, his subpar performance and inability to recover the lost fumble will likely reverberate through the Charlotte region during the offseason.