Ron Rivera Comments on Cam Newton, Execution After Super Bowl 50 Loss to Broncos

For a team that entered Super Bowl 50 with the league's best scoring offense, the Carolina Panthers could not do much against the Denver Broncos in their 24-10 loss Sunday. 

Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, whose team was 17-1 heading into the NFL's championship game, could not find a way to put points on the board as he watched his quarterback and league MVP Cam Newton take seven sacks, lose two fumbles and throw an interception.

He spoke with the media after the game about Newton and his team's execution, per the Associated Press' Steve Reed:

Newton was 18-of-41 passing for 265 yards with a quarterback rating of 55.4, his lowest of the season. 

The quarterback didn't handle losing well, either, as he walked out on his postgame interview, per ESPN.com's David Newton.

Rivera commented on Newton's postgame actions, per Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer:

For a team that was 7-8-1 last season, this was quite a turnaround, as Rivera's group won 11 of its 17 games by at least a touchdown.

Of course, that didn't mean much to Rivera on Sunday.

"I don’t want to diminish what we did this year, but we didn’t come here to finish second," he said, per Sports Illustrated. “We have an opportunity to learn and grow from this experience."

After suffering a heartbreaking loss, Rivera stood in there with the media and provided well-mannered responses, showing others on his team and around the league that one can lose gracefully. 

And he wasn't afraid to give credit where credit was due:

While the loss will haunt the Panthers and Rivera in the offseason, they can use it as motivation to come back for the 2016 season stronger than ever. With the talent Rivera has on his roster and with his aggressive, intelligent coaching, there is a good chance that the Panthers can put together another memorable season next year.

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.