Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Cam Newton insists his success isn’t coming easily. All he’s doing is whatever he can to help the Carolina Panthers win.

On Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that was just about everything.

The rookie ran for three more touchdowns to set the NFL single-season record for TDs rushing by a quarterback, pacing a 38-19 rout of the struggling Buccaneers with a dominating performance that revealed something else he’s capable of doing: catching passes.

The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner scored the 11th, 12th and 13th TDs of his career on a trio of 1-yard runs. He also had his first reception as a pro to set up Jonathan Stewart’s first-quarter TD, then threw a 19-yard TD pass to Legedu Naanee to finish one of Carolina’s three scoring drives of 80-plus yards.

“I wouldn’t say it’s easier each week. It’s a challenge each and every week,” Newton said after Carolina (4-8) won its second straight to double the team’s victory total for last season.

“The one thing I’ve seemed to get is more comfortable,” the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft added. ” Dictating to the defense to some degree with your eyes, the pre-snap reads. The only difference in the NFL and college is the athleticism increases at each position.”

Tampa Bay (4-8), which played in throwback creamsicle jerseys and white helmets bearing the logo of a winking pirate, has lost six straight and seven of eight following a 3-1 start. The Bucs had nine penalties to Carolina’s two, and coach Raheem Morris lashed out at his team for what he described as unsmart play.

“I can take getting beat by a better football team. I wish they were,” Morris said. “The foolish things that happened in that game, as far as penalties, some of the things that we caused, are just unacceptable. We are not playing like a smart football team right now.”

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