The Panthers' nondescript receiving corps has been exceeding expectations ever since analysts derided the group as a liability when Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL in training camp.
"Those guys have been playing lights-out since Day 1," Cam Newton said Tuesday. "To say the least."
Newton proceeded to dissect the criticism of each Carolina wideout.
"From Ted Ginn, who was a bust for so many people," Newton quipped. "I heard Jerricho Cotchery was washed up 10 years ago, Philly Brown had no hands, Devin Funchess was too high of a pick for the Carolina Panthers, Brenton Bersin, who knows who he is, and just things of that sort.
"But for us, we didn't let anyone else dictate to us that we knew what we were capable of. It's a very close-knit group and guys selling out for each other."
Despite Newton's public support, the skepticism isn't about to abide in the lead-up to Super Bowl 50. On paper, the matchup favors a Broncos secondary that boasts a pair of Pro Bowl cornerbacks in Aqib Talib and Chris Harris, Jr.
Ginn and Co. can win over the doubters by coming through with a few big plays en route to a Panthers victory.
