Cam Newton takes part of blame for Carolina Panthers’ change at offensive coordinator

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Quarterback Cam Newton shouldered some of the blame for the Carolina Panthers firing offensive coordinator Joe Brady coming off a dismal showing against the Miami Dolphins before the bye week.

“Do I think I had something to do with it?” Newton said on Thursday as he prepared to face the Atlanta Falcons. “The competitor in me, absolutely, yes. Because the truth of the matter is you don’t lose your job because of success.

“Where I’m at now is doing what I can control to make sure that I have a job, too. Let’s just be honest.”

Newton, 32, had a career-worst 5.8 passer rating in a 33-10 loss at Miami on Nov. 28. He completed 5 of 21 pass attempts for 92 yards with two interceptions and no touchdown passes.

A week later, coach Matt Rhule fired Brady and replaced him with senior offensive assistant/running backs coach Jeff Nixon, who this week joins the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Byron Leftwich as one of only two Black offensive playcallers in the NFL.

Newton was so disappointed by his last performance and being 0-2 as the starter in his return to Carolina (5-7) that he had little to say about the significance of Nixon’s opportunity.

“It’s a great feel-good story,” Newton said. “But once again, it’s the NFL. This is a production-based league. I don’t know if there’s a need to say anything else. Am I excited for the opportunity [Nixon has]? Yes. Am I also disappointed about the opportunity? Yes. Obviously you had Joe who was here prior to.”

Carolina’s offensive struggles began well before Newton returned last month to the team that made him the top pick of the 2011 draft.

The Panthers had gone three straight games without scoring a touchdown with Sam Darnold at quarterback and had scored only seven touchdowns in the first nine games.

The change in coordinators had to do with that, Brady’s inability to make adjustments after halftime and his reluctance to commit to the running game.

Carolina ranks 31st in third-quarter scoring, averaging 2.1 points. It…