The NFL has concluded that officials should have penalized the Arizona Cardinals for an illegal hit Sunday on Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, a league source told ESPNs Ed Werder.The play in question, which Newton complained about after Carolinas 30-20 victory, was a low hit by Arizona defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who dove at the reigning league MVP and hit him low while he was in the pocket.Newton acknowledged Sunday that late hits like the one from Campbell are taking the fun out of the game for me and said he wants to speak with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about the issue.?Panthers coach Ron Rivera said that he has had ongoing discussions with Goodell, although he would not reveal how recently he had talked with the commissioner. But a league source told Werder that Rivera spoke to Goodell and at least two other league executives Monday.Goodell promised Rivera in their conversation Monday, the source told Werder, that he would speak directly to Newton, who also expressed concerns that I dont even feel safe while playing. A high-ranking Panthers source told Werder that Newton and Goodell did speak Tuesday, but it was not clear what was discussed.Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman also spoke to the league office Monday about his concern for protecting Newton, according to the source.Opponents havent received a roughing-the-passer penalty against Newton this season, except for one that was offset by an intentional grounding penalty in the season opener at Denver. This is despite Newton being hit an NFL-high 212 times during that span.Rivera said the 6-foot-5, 260-pound Newton gets treated like Hall of Fame NBA center Shaquille ONeal because of his unusually large size for his position.Hes a bigger guy for that position, as opposed to some of the smaller guys, Rivera said Monday. When they get hit, they roll around to the ground. When he gets hit, he absorbs them and it doesnt look as bad.I think sometimes that might be part of the reason that he doesnt get the calls he deserves or should get.Some around the league, including Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert, do not agree that Newton is treated unfairly.Gilbert, citing teammate Ben Roethlisberger, said Monday that larger quarterbacks should embrace the sports physicality just like other players and suggested that Newton should have the Panthers change their game plan if he doesnt want to get hit.Hall of Fame pass-rusher Kevin Greene, who spent three seasons with the Panthers, also weighed in Tuesday.Thats just football, Greene said. You never saw Joe Montana and Dan Marino and John Elway bitching about getting hit too much in the pocket.Cam shouldnt be doing that. He is a football player. Everybody knows hes running that zone-read stuff, and hes a runner, too. ... The game is physical. Its played by tough men. This is professional football and its predicated on physical brutality. Thats going to occur to you, Cam, whether youre inside the pocket or outside the pocket.ESPN Panthers reporter David Newton contributed to this report. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Store . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Cheap Soccer Jerseys China . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. http://www.cheapsoccerjerseys.co/ . 31, the CFL club announced Monday. The team also has yet to decide on the future of Doug Berry, who began the season as a consultant to the head coach but took over the offensive co-ordinators duties in July. 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SEATTLE -- By this point, they might as well consider Seattle and Carolina a divisional game.For the seventh time in five years, the Panthers and Seahawks will meet on Sunday night each with a different sense of urgency heading into the final month of the regular season.Seattle (7-3-1) reverted to its inconsistent form of earlier this season in a loss last week to Tampa Bay that now leaves the Seahawks, while still in complete control of the NFC West, with no room for error in trying to hold off others in the NFC for the No. 2 seed and a coveted first-round bye in the playoffs.The level of urgency is far greater for the defending NFC champion Panthers.After last weeks loss in Oakland , the Panthers (4-7) are three games behind in the NFC South race and 2+ games behind Washington for the final wild-card spot with five games to go.There is time for Carolina, but its running short to avoid joining the list of Super Bowl participants to miss the postseason the following year.Weve lost five games by three points or less. We had opportunities to win football games down the stretch and didnt do it, Carolina coach Ron Rivera said.Those are things that unfortunately we just didnt do. We did it last year and thats probably the hard pill to swallow.Theres also the Super Bowl hangover, something that Rivera acknowledged researching what Seattle coach Pete Carroll did following the back-to-back trips by the Seahawks to the championship game to try and figure out ways to avoid a swoon by his team.I think its got a little bit to do with it. The truth of the matter is if you win the first game, things can be different. Unfortunately we didnt, so we have to battle uphill, Rivera said.Unlike the Panthers, thus far at least, Seattle was able to overcome early troubles following both of its Super Bowl trips to find a way back to the postseason.I think you have to be prepared for it way before you ever get to it, Carroll said.If its the first time you ever talk about it, I think you might not be able to have grounded thoughts and approach to deal with it. Its an enormous impact, win or lose.Thanks to the underperformance by the rest of the division, Seattle is in fine shape to make a fifth straight playoff appearance under Carroll, with a three-game lead in the NFC West over Arizona.The loss last week to Tampa Bay seemed destined from the outset, with the Seahawks down four starters onn defense including safety Earl Thomas, and without starting center Justin Britt the anchor to whats been a shaky offensive line all season.ddddddddddddBut managing just five points -- and only a field goal by the offense -- was a startling reversal back to Seattles offensive problems early in the season when the Seahawks began the season with 12 points in a win over Miami and three points in a loss to Los Angeles.We were just a little bit off. Last week was last week. You can always get better, Seattle QB Russell Wilson said.Heres what else to watch as the past three NFC representatives in the Super Bowl meet:RUNNING DOWNHILL: Stopping the Panthers run game means more than just worrying about the running back.I think theyre the only team in the league that runs a quarterback power, Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner said.While many of the Panthers offensive statistics are down from a year ago, they still remain one of the most diverse running attacks in the league with Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert and Newton.And Seattle has seemed more susceptible to the run this season, giving up 100.8 yards per game on the ground and seeing teams stick with the run more than the past. Opponents are averaging 28.4 run attempts per game against Seattle. Last season, it was 22.6.LINES OF CHANGE: Both the offensive lines for Seattle and Carolina are in major flux.The Seahawks are hoping to get Britt back from an ankle injury that sidelined him last week. With Britt out, Seattle struggled with protection and the Bucs sacked Wilson six times. The Seahawks are also making a change at right tackle with Bradley Sowell stepping in to replace Garry Gilliam.Those are minor changes compared to what the Panthers are going through . Centers Ryan Khalil and Gino Gradkowski were placed on injured reserve this week.Tyler Larsen is expected to make his first start at center, but the changes also include Trai Turner expected to start at right tackle for the first time since high school and Chris Scott likely stepping in at guard.PROTECT HOME: The Seahawks are the only unbeaten team at home in the NFL this season. But its been four years -- 2012- since Seattle finished the season 8-0 at home.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '