Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Some tall, some small and some Johnny Football. But one man -- one gifted individual -- exhibited such versatility, balance and hops this week that he is surely the most heroic of all heroes, and hasearned his self-proclaimed moniker, Superman.
Cam Newton's front-flip touchdown earns the No. 1 spot in Week 2's Top 10 "Performance Moments of the Week" presented by Bridgestone.
Tied at 10 with the Texans late in the third quarter, Newton and the Panthers needed a boost after Ryan Mallett threw his first touchdown of the day. Undeterred by the change in momentum, Newton led his Panthers on a 14-play, 80-yard drive over seven minutes, charging into the red zone.
On a first-and-goal from the two-yard line, Newton stepped back from under center looking to pass, but when a hole opened up in front of him, the former first-overall pick took off. As Texans safety Rahim Moore closed in on Newton, the Panthers quarterback leaped into the air and towards the end zone, seemingly defying his own laws of motion in the process. Newton completed one full revolution over Moore, bounced off defensive end Jared Crick and landed upright on two feet -- kind of -- in the end zone. Somewhere Jerome Simpson offers a golf clap.
Newton later said that during the play, "My heart was in my socks." Lucky for Cam, his socks landed in the endzone, along with his shoes, his hands and the football. The Panthers took a 17-10 lead over the Texans with the score and never looked back as they moved to 2-0 on the season.
Seahawks tight end Luke Willson may not have the acrobatic attributes of Week 2's champion, but his one-handed snag Sunday night was one of the team's lone highlights in their 24-17 loss to the Packers. On the Seahawks' first play of the second half, Willson ran a streak down the numbers. Russell Wilson threw the tight end a laser to his back shoulder and Willson adeptly grabbed it with one hand and pulled it into his chest. The Willson-to-Wilson connection ignited the Seahawks' first touchdown drive of the game and a short-lived second half comeback.
Also on the countdown: Welcome to the league, rookie! Cardinals running back/kick returner/scoring machine David Johnsontook the opening kickoff to the house during Sunday's 48-23 demolition of the Bears. The historic return was the longest in Cardinals history, and earned Johnson a place in Canton -- his signed jersey and cleats were sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after the game. ... Portly guy interception alert!Packers defensive end Jayrone Elliott's one-handed pick off Russell Wilson in the fourth quarter cemented Green Bay's win and earned Elliott a coveted place in America's hearts.
