The most glaring aspect of Palmer's tough night was that it came at the same time that Carolina's star quarterback, Cam Newton, was doing pretty much whatever he wanted. This game was billed as the first ever playoff matchup of two former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks (who both had been the first overall selections in their respective draft classes). At 36, Palmer had experienced almost everything a quarterback could've encountered in this league. The 26-year-old Newton, on the other hand, was just starting to come into his own.