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PITTSBURGH (AP) – Cam Newton spent part of the summer studying and coaching with Ben Roethlisberger alongside Antonio Brown, which the Carolina Panthers' quarterback made to both out of curiosity and respect.
Newton found himself in love with Roethlisberger's footwork – "The play is never over for Big Ben" – and Brown's relentlessness.
"He's literally like a night beast," Newton said of Brown. & # 39; & # 39; I thought I was bad. … we had late workouts. I speak like 10 o'clock in the morning. It was like our second or third of the day. Whenever he feels the urge to work, he works and I respect him. & # 39; & # 39;
Newton will see Roethlisberger, Brown and the rest of the Steelers (5-2-1) closely when the Panthers (6-2) make a rare trip to Pittsburgh. Maybe these are the workouts with Brown. Maybe that's the report he's developed with the offensive coordinator Norv Turner. Perhaps this is the emergence of the attacking half Christian McCaffrey. Whatever it is, Newton is in the middle of his best season since winning the MVP championship in 2015.
Maybe that's why Roethlisberger just laughed when asked if there was wisdom to convey to Newton.
"I do not need to give him any advice," Roethlisberger said. & # 39; & # 39; He is Superman. & # 39; & # 39;
A steel man who could be a handful for a resilient Pittsburgh defense. The Steelers were very hot during the first month of the season, but they understood everything in their series of four consecutive wins. Pittsburgh has only allowed 275.5 yards per game over the past month. That comes from the combination of the quick cohesion of a revamped secondary and the reduction of his time on the field thanks to an attack that begins to silence the ball behind second-half scorer James Conner.
Yet the Panthers present their own challenge. Carolina could be the closest match to the NFL. The Panthers racked up at least 121 yards in seven of eight games, with Newton as a catalyst. At age 29, he is ready for a cutting-edge career, a mix of creativity that calls Turner and Newton's pragmatic approach when he recovers the balloon and takes off. Although he is always happy to be able to shoot from time to time, he is more likely to slip before being hit.
Pittsburgh, fourth in the sack league, is determined to ensure that Newton does not let go.
"He absolutely can not escape 10 balls," said Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward. & # 39; & # 39; If everyone gets shot, someone is forced to hit. It must be a group effort. … it's a helluva test. & # 39; & # 39;
Some things to watch as Pittsburgh looks to extend its series of success while Carolina looks for the first victory of the franchise in Steel City:
LEVEON WHO?
The Wayers Steelers halfback, Le & # 39; Veon Bell, is coming to an end for several months at the club. He has until November 13 to sign and sign his one-year franchise agreement he wants to make sure to have the necessary service time to enter the open market next spring. . After some initial anxiety, Bell's teammates moved on. Conner flourishes in the absence of Bell. He is second in the league total in yards and is the first player in the team's history to have totaled 10 touchdowns in eight games.
"James Conner drove and bulldozed people," Brown said.
GIVE ME THAT
Carolina wins the battle of the turnover. The Panthers have experienced reversals or even positives in seven of their eight games and are 6-1. They are 5-0 when they win the battle of turnover.
Carolina is fourth in the league in terms of difference in turnover with a plus-8, sixth in turnover points (51), seventh in total take-home points (15) and tied for fourth in number of points. Interceptions (11) behind rookie cornerback Donte Jackson four choices.
Since 2015, Carolina is leading the rankings with 102 take-away races and is second with 62 steals.
FEISTY FEILER
Pittsburgh right-back Matt Feiler is likely to make his third straight start in injured Marcus Gilbert. An unmanipulated free agent, Feiler is thriving while opening holes for Conner and helping to keep Roethlisberger clean. Roethlisberger was fired twice during the Pittsburgh winning streak. Feiler's success is not entirely unprecedented. Three members of Pittsburgh-Feiler's starting lineup, left-hand guard Ramon Foster and left tackle Alejandro Villanueva – were all defeated.
"That's how we are built," said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. & # 39; & # 39; That's what we expect, and (Feiler) is only the latest example of a guy who meets that expectation as we talked about it. He is capable, so it is understandable to expect this type of performance from him. & # 39; & # 39;
STOP ADDISON
The future Hall of Fame member, Julius Peppers, may have more name power, but Mario Addison has been Carolina's most productive defense. Addison leads the team with more than 7 sacks, including a trifecta bag against Tampa Bay last week.
Over the past 38 games, Addison has had 28 sacks.
& # 39; & # 39; I'm a pretty good guy, "he said. said Addison, a six-story man, three of 260 pounds. & # 39; & # 39; People underestimate me because I look a bit small, but I have a punch. When I miss them and my hands are inside them, I send them back and they say, "Dang, this guy is stronger than I thought".
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AP Sports Editor Steve Reed contributed to this report.
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More NFL AP: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL
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