Watch the Broncos pull off this ridiculous interception against Cam Newton

Cam Newton appeared to be in total control Thursday night, throwing for a touchdown and running for another to help the Panthers to a narrow lead over the Broncos in the season opener.

Then the Broncos defense got the better of the reigning MVP.

On second-and-4 with 14:17 left in the game, Newton dropped back and threw a slant pass to Kelvin Benjamin. Broncos corner Chris Harris Jr. stepped in front of Benjamin, tipped the ball high into the air and turned around to make a spectacular diving catch, handing Newton his first interception of the season.

The play wasn't as much of a mistake by Newton as it was a great individual play by Harris. Broncos fans are used to seeing the two-time Pro Bowler come up with some big plays, but this effort was something special.

But despite his heroics early in the fourth, Harris almost was the goat in crunch time. With two minutes left in the game and the Panthers facing a fourth-and-21, Harris was called for an illegal-hands-to-the-face penalty that gave Carolina an automatic first down. Though the Panthers drove into field-goal range, Graham Gano missed a 50-yard attempt with nine seconds left, sealing the Broncos’ 21-20 win.