a clean pocket Blue Shaq Thompson Jersey , surveying the field from sideline to sideline. The star quarterback had time and an open receiver in the end zone, giving the Carolina Panthers a chance to convert a go-ahead, 2-point conversion against the Detroit Lions.Newton, though, wasted the opportunity by sliding to his left and sailing an off-balance throw behind and over Jarius Wright.Instead of earning a comeback win to bolster playoff hopes, Newton's errant pass with 1:07 left allowed Detroit to hold on for a 20-19 win over Carolina on Sunday."I let this team down and I've just got to be better," Newton said.Carolina coach Ron Rivera went for the win after Newton threw his third touchdown pass to rookie receiver DJ Moore , who leaped in the corner of the end zone to make the catch."I think you go for 2 on the road," Rivera said.Rivera would not budge on the reasoning behind the aggressive call when pressed whether he made it because usually reliable kicker Graham Gano missed an extra point and a field goal earlier."I was going for the win," he said. "That's the bottom line."Newton's line looked good, going 25 of 37 for 357 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. But with a chance to help the Panthers (6-4) avoid losing two straight for the first time this season and at least improve their wild-card positioning Shaq Thompson Jersey 2019 , Newton failed to deliver a relatively simple pass in a pressure-packed situation."This game is such a humbling game at times," he said. "Today, I was humbled."Detroit coach Matt Patricia insisted he wasn't surprised by Rivera's decision."They had good momentum going into that situation," Patricia said.The Lions (4-6) recovered an onside kick to seal the victory and end a season-high three-game losing streak. They were in a position to win after Matthew Stafford threw a go-ahead, 19-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Golladay with 5:19 left. Stafford rolled to his right and threw toward the end zone, connecting with Golladay, who leaped just inside the 5 and landed in the end zone with a score that stood after review."He just gave me a nice, pretty, high ball," Golladay said. "I like balls like that for me to just use my size, hands Blue Taylor Moton Jersey , athletic ability to go up there and make the catch."Stafford was 23 of 37 for 220 yards with a touchdown. Golladay had eight catches for 113 yards and his go-ahead touchdown help keep Detroit's fading hopes of saving its season alive."We're playing for everything," linebacker Jarrad Davis said. "We went down so many games, we know we can't lose another one, so it's do or die at this point."PIVOTAL PLAYMoore turned a short pass into an 82-yard gain in the third quarter and would have scored if Darius Slay didn't tackle him at the 12. Slay was on the opposite side of the field when Moore made his catch, and the cornerback chased down the speedy receiver from behind."That's a huge play," Patricia said. "Great hustle."Four plays later, Gano hit the left upright on a 34-yard field goal after making 28 straight for the longest active streak in the NFL. Gano also missed an extra point in the fourth period, leaving Carolina in a 13-13 tie and leading to its decision to go for the 2-point conversion."This is a really tough game to swallow because I could have helped us get a win," Gano said. "But I can't try to tear my technique down and start over."SILVER LININGMoore, a first-round pick, made the most of his opportunities to play more without injured receiver Torrey Smith in the lineup. Moore had seven receptions for 157 yards 鈥?both season highs 鈥?and the score that pulled the Panthers within a point late in the game.INJURY REPORTPanthers: Newton left the game briefly in the third quarter with an apparent ankle injury. CB Donte Jackson went out in the second quarter with what looked like an ankle injury Taylor Moton Jersey 2019 , but returned.Lions: Detroit rookie RB Kerryon Johnson left in the third with a left knee injury and didn't return after running for 87 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Patricia said he didn't have an update on Johnson's condition.UP NEXTPanthers: Host Seattle on Sunday.Lions: Host Chicago on Thursday. The Carolina Panthers showed grit, resilience,and played sixty minuets of solid football as they squeaked by the Dallas Cowboys 16-8 in their home opener.Carolina’s offense overcame a foot injury to TE Greg Olsen and carried a 10-0 lead into halftime.The Panthers’ defense, however, were the real stars of the game- holding Dallas’ offense to zero plays into their territory in the first half. Here are five winners and three losers from week one.WinnersDefense:This unit dominated the Cowboys for the majority of the game. Luke Kuechly and the rest of the front seven held Dallas’ offense to a paltry 232 total yards.The Panthers defense contained Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott, holding him to 69 yards on the day.Kuechly lead the way for this unit with 12 tackles. Cam Newton: For all of the criticism that Newton receives regarding his accuracy, he completed 17 of his 26 passes for 65 percent on the day.Newton was a bit on the conservative side with his arm today, taking few risks downfield.He was efficient and his throws were enough to put the offense into positions to capitalize. While Newton’s arm was solid, his legs made the difference. He lead the team in rushing with 58 yards and a touchdown.Shaq Thompson and Kawann Short:These two came up huge today on defense. Kuechly may have steadied the defense with his tackles and roaming the middle, but it was Thompson and Short that brought the heat and pressured Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott all game long.The two combined sliced through the Cowboys’ O-line and combined for three sacks. Christian McCaffrey: The second year running back shook off the fumble on the Panthers’ opening drive and found a steady rhythm the rest of the way. Granted, McCaffrey could have done more today but he’d done enough to contribute to the win youth Luke Kuechly Jersey , recording 95 total yards from scrimmage.Damiere Byrd: He was dynamic as a returner during the game. He scorched the Cowboys’ special teams unit on three returns for 47 yards, including a 30 yard return deep into Dallas territory late in the third quarter. LosersOffense:Carolina’s offense is here NOT because of their performance. They are here because they have lost two key components of the unit during this game. All Pro Tight End Greg Olsen left the game in the second quarter with a foot injury and did not return.The O-line was hit once again when Tackle Daryl Williams was carted off with an injury.Granted, they won the battle of scrimmage and attrition, but at what cost?Coaches: Instead of going for a touchdown at the end of the first half, Norv Turner and the rest of the Panthers’ coordinators decided to be conservative and end the half with a Graham Gano field goal. The play almost came back to haunt the Panthers. Luckily for them,the defense rendered Dallas ineffective. Amini Silatolu:Silatolu is responsible for a bad snap from J.J. Jansen that prevented Gano from attempting an extra point that would have given the Panthers a 17-0 lead after the Alex Armah touchdown in the 3rd quarter. At first it appeared that Jansen snapped the ball way too high, but on replay it was clear that Silatolu moved his leg too soon and got in the way of the snap, causing it to sail high and wide. The result was a blown play and a two possession game when it should have been more.Panthers fans, who are your winners and losers for week one? Let us know in the comments below.