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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Panthers coach Ron Rivera wants Cam Newton to receive the same protection on helmet-to-helmet hits as other quarterbacks get in the NFL.Rivera said because of the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Newtons size and the Panthers style of play, Newton often doesnt draw the flags on hard hits that smaller QBs do.Newton was on the receiving end of four helmet-to-helmet hits in Thursday nights physical 21-20 loss to Denver, but the Broncos were only penalized once.I think there is a little bit of prejudice to that, Rivera said of the lack of penalties. Its kind of like Shaquille ONeal. Hes a big physical basketball player and he goes to set a pick and they fall down and they call a foul on him. Then he goes to shoot a layup and gets hacked and hammered and they dont call it.Rivera even went as far as to say the leagues reigning MVP should receive some preferential treatment.The coach would like to see Newton, now in his sixth season, get some veteran favoritism from the leagues officials.Newton was tested four times for a concussion -- after the game in the locker room, on the bus, on the flight home and Friday morning at the stadium -- and all proved to be negative. He was never tested during the game.Newton is expected to practice when the Panthers return to the field on Wednesday, the coach said.Rivera said he will send video of some of the hits to the league.Some of them you would like to see them throw the flags, Rivera said without identifying which hits.The NFL doesnt disagree with Rivera. A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that league officials say linebacker Brandon Marshall should have been flagged for a second half hit on Newton.The person said Dean Blandino, the leagues senior vice president of officiating, and his staff reviewed the play and determined on Friday that Marshall shouldve been flagged for delivering a hit to Newtons head after the quarterback had released the football. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the NFL did not publicly comment on the details of its review.The NFL wont hand out any potential fines until next week after they review all Week 1 games.There were a couple of helmet-to-helmet hits on Newton by last years Super Bowl MVP Von Miller and defensive end Jared Crick. Millers facemask-to-facemask hit occurred while Newton was being sacked by DeMarcus Ware.The biggest hit on Newton, however, was delivered by safety Darian Stewart on Carolinas final possession, leaving the QB motionless on the ground for several seconds. Newton stayed in and led the Panthers into field goal range, although Graham Gano missed a 50-yard attempt that would have given Carolina the lead.Stewart said after the game he felt like he led with his shoulder, not his head.The NFL released a statement Friday saying medical officials determined Newton didnt need to leave the game due to injury. It said there was communication between medical personnel on the Carolina sideline, including the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant, and the two independent certified athletic trainer spotters in the booth.The release also stated that during stoppage in action the play was reviewed and medical officials determined there were no indications of a concussion that would require further evaluation and the removal of the player from the game.Rivera didnt see a need to sit Newton after the hit.Im not going to question the doctors, OK? There is a protocol, Rivera said.The NFLPA said it is reviewing whether Newton should have been tested after the hit.Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said he didnt think there was that much contact with Newtons head during the game.I saw two plays where he left the pocket where there were big collisions, Kubiak said. There were a lot of big collisions in that game. I think we were playing hard. They were playing hard. They knocked the heck out of us, too, you know.Kubiak also doesnt feel his players were being dirty.Rivera knows officials have a difficult job to do, especially when it comes to a player like Newton who runs a lot.I think his style of play is different as far as quarterbacks are concerned, Rivera said. ... Its so hard to tell whether he is running or going to throw. So that makes it tough.Kubiak agreed.Hes the top player in football and theyre designed runs for him, Kubiak said. Youd better tackle him like a back, youd better treat him that way or youre going to have a long night as a defensive football team.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton in Denver contributed to this report. Vans Old Skool Sale .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. Vans Old Skool White .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. http://www.vansshoesclearancesale.com/ . While hell be dialed in to that tournament on a course he loves, you can forgive him if his eyes glance down the calendar just a bit, towards April. Vans Sk8 Hi Reissue . The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. Vans Sk8 Hi Clearance . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal. NEW YORK -- The WNBA season is at the midway point and Los Angeles has definitely been the surprise of the season.The Sparks are 16-1, the second-best start in league history trailing only Houston which won 20 of its first 21 games in 1998. Los Angeles, led by Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker, was a unanimous No. 1 choice Tuesday in The Associated Press WNBA power poll .The team also owns the rights to Connecticuts pick in next years draft meaning Los Angeles could win the league and get the No. 1 selection since the Sun are sitting in the lottery again.Ogwumike is having an MVP-caliber season for the Sparks. Shes averaging 18.4 points while shooting a blistering 70 percent from the field.She has been playing at an incredible level, Sparks coach Brian Agler said.---POWER POLL: The top four teams remained the same with Phoenix jumping up to fifth. A look at this weeks WNBA poll:1. Los Angeles (16-1): The Sparks close out a six-game homestand against Indiana and Washington.2. Minnesota (14-3): The Lynx ended a rare-three game slide with a blowout win over San Antonio. Minnesota has a busy week ahead with three games.3. New York (12-6): Finishing 2-1 on a difficult road trip, the Liberty play three games this week.4. Washington (9-9): Mystics continue season-long road trip with games in San Antonio, Los Angeles and Phoenix.5. Phoenix (8-10): Winners of four of their last five games, the Mercury are looking strong. Two of three games this week are on the road.6. Chicago (7-9): Ended a four-game skid, need to be more consistent on defense to stay in the playoff hunt.7. Dallas (8-10): The Wings have been playing teams close lately, but havent been able to get over the hump -- losing three of their four gamees by a combined 13 points.dddddddddddd8. Indiana (7-10): If the season was over, Tamika Catchings would find her career ending before the playoffs began. Fever looking to avoid letting their star go out missing the postseason.9. Atlanta (8-9): Michael Coopers team will try and end a six-game skid.10. Seattle (6-10): Breanna Stewart has been nearly as good as expected. She and Jewell Loyd need a little more help but Storm should be a playoff contender for years to come.11. Connecticut (4-13): Three of their four wins have come against potential lottery teams. The Sun are at home this week for two games.12. San Antonio (4-13): A tough season got worse as Kayla McBride injured her ankle in last game. She could be out awhile.---PLAYER OF THE WEEK: For the second time this season, Nneka Ogwumike earned AP player of the week honors. She helped the Sparks go 3-0 this week averaging 22.3 points and 10 rebounds. Other players receiving votes were Candace Parker and Breanna Stewart of Seattle.---BLOCK PARTY: Brittney Griner had the sixth triple-double in the league history during the regular season with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks against Atlanta on Sunday. It was the first in the league since 2014 and the third of them to do it with blocks. After a slow start to the season, Griner has taken over the league-lead in blocks.---GAME OF THE WEEK: Sky at Lynx, 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday night. Chicago finds itself sitting in the eighth spot overall and struggling to find any consistency. Elena Delle Donnes squad has a tough week ahead with games against Minnesota, New York and Phoenix. ' ' '