Cam Newton says race has not been issue in criticism of his play

Warren Moon has helped along Cam Newton during the young quarterback’s career and the Hall of Famer said that some criticism Newton has received with the Panthers struggling at 1-5 is race related.

I heard somebody compare him to Vince Young," Moon told Yahoo Sports. "It's the same old crap -- it's always a comparison of one black to another black. I get tired of it. I get tired of defending it.

"If you want to compare him to someone because of his demeanor, compare him to Jay Cutler. There are a lot of guys who whine and moan. Cam's not biting anybody's head off or pushing his linemen. He's just disgruntled and not handling losing well because, think about it, he basically didn't lose in college.

"I don't think Cam's as bad as Cutler because Cutler looks like he doesn't give a damn sometimes, or he's yelling and cussing at someone. Cam, he just looks down when they're losing."

Newton, in a conference call with Chicago media on Wednesday, said he didn’t believe race was an issue in play right now.

“I haven't heard anything he said. But obviously Warren is a person I go to for guidance and leadership on the field and off the field,” Newton said, according to Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune. “When it comes to (racism) I don't think there is any at all."

One thing is for certain: Newton’s statistics measure right up against those belonging to Cutler. Newton has completed 101 of 173 passes for 1,387 yards with five touchdowns and six interceptions. Cutler, the Bears quarterback has completed 106 of 187 passes for 1,359 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. Newton’s passer rating is 79.3. Cutler’s passer rating is 78.3.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

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