Oakland Raiders vs Carolina Panthers Match Player Stats On Dec 23, 2012

Panthers 17, Raiders 6: Cam Newton threw for one touchdown and ran for another as host Carolina posted its third straight victory.

Newton completed 18 of 29 passes for 170 yards and also was the team's leading rusher with 60 yards on 12 carries as the Panthers (6-9) go into the final week of the season with their first three-game winning streak since the end of the 2009 campaign.

Sebastian Janikowski provided the only points for Oakland (4-11) for the second straight week with a pair of field goals. Matt Leinart was 16-of-32 for 115 yards with one interception in relief of Carson Palmer, who exited late in the first quarter with a back injury.

Carolina opened the scoring with 3:12 remaining in the first, when Newton connected with Steve Smith on a 23-yard scoring strike. The quarterback extended the lead in the second quarter as he scored on a 3-yard run with 17 seconds to play.

Newton committed his first turnover in six games as he threw an interception on the final play of the third period. He entered the day having thrown 10 TD passes and running for three more scores without turning over the ball in his previous five contests.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Newton was penalized for making contact with an official and he apologized after the game. ... Prior to leaving, Palmer went 3-of-3 for 31 yards to become the second quarterback in franchise history to pass for 4,000 yards in a season. Palmer, who entered needing 13 yards to reach the plateau, joined Rich Gannon (4,689 in 2002) on the club's short list. ... Janikowski has kicked seven field goals during Oakland's two-game touchdown drought. ... Newton's interception was just Carolina's second turnover since Week 12.