Patriots' Cam Newton explains late-game tussle with Dolphins: 'The College Park almost came out in me'

Miami players tried to snatch Cam Newton's chain after the last play of the Patriots' 21-11 win over the Dolphins on Sunday.

Newton did not like that.

This is whya smalltussle broke out at the end of the Week 1 game in New England. NFL Network's Michael Giardi shared on Twitter the CBS footage of the beginning of the encounter, betweenNewton and Miami's Van Noy,, followed by a clip of Dolphins linebackerElandon Roberts getting in Newton's face. For what it's worth, both Van Noy and Roberts are ex-Patriots.

MORE: Breaking down Cam Newton's Patriots debut

The broadcast did not make clear what led Newton to react the way he did, but the 31-year-old quarterback after the game confirmed the Dolphins playerstake his chain.

"It was a competitive game — on both sides," Newton said (via ESPN's Mike Reiss). "You just have to realize who you're talking to, and just keep everything in the game. I realized I was talking to a person that's known for doing splits. So it wasn't characteristic of myself to keep going back and forth.

"But at the end of the day, it's football; and for me, no matter who it is, I play with a competitive edge and I expect the other team to have a competetive edge as well. And at the end of the day, anything outside of that, it's just all about respect. I don't disrespect nobody, and I wouldn't want anybody to disrespect me."

Added Newton when asked whether his chain was taken: "I still got my chain. I got two of 'em. They were reaching for my chain, though. They were reacing for my chain. And I think that kind of got up under my skin. ...

"And I don't want to be selfish to kind of focus or dwell on that. I think for us as a team, or me personally — a lot of tempers can flare. And I was just teasing with coach, just letting him know that the College Park almost came out of me. Yet through it all, man, it was fun and games; and it was expected."

Fantastic.

One can only assume that "coach" in this case is Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and that Newton's "College Park" quote is a reference to the part of Atlanta, Ga., where he's from.

The attack on Newton's chain was pretty much the only negative aspect of hisPatriots debut. He completed 15 of 19 passes for 155 yards, rushed for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns on 15 carries and led New England to a 1-0 record.