CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Jonathan Stewart isn’t one to showboat after scoring a touchdown. He typically follows the old Barry Sanders philosophy of “act like you’ve been there."

So when the Carolina Panthers running back stopped at the goal line, turned and then fell backward into the end zone at the end of a 60-yard touchdown run in the first quarter of Sunday’s 31-24 victory against Minnesota, it stood out.

“He’s beginning to get a little drip," quarterback Cam Newton said with a smile. “I like it."

Drip, in this case, is a good thing.

It’s another word, in Newton’s vernacular, for sauce and swag.

Stewart brought a lot of much-needed drip to the Carolina running game on this frigid day, rushing for 103 yards and a personal-best three touchdowns. He had only three touchdowns in the first 12 games and had topped 100 yards only once all season.

The Panthers have been struggling so much to get Stewart on track that the critics have been questioning whether the 30-year-old back had lost a step -- or two.

But on Carolina’s third offensive play Sunday, with the Minnesota defense stacked tight on third-and-1, Stewart broke through a big hole on the right side. He got so far ahead of the nearest defender that he had time to look up at the JumboTron to see if he could make the celebration a little different.

"When I ... saw I had a nice little lead, I was, 'Oh, this is the time,'" Stewart said with a laugh.

Stewart has wanted to do the flop ever since he saw wide receiver DeSean Jackson do it at the end of a 91-yard touchdown catch in a 2010 game for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The difference is Jackson wasn’t that far ahead of the nearest Dallas defender. Stewart had time to pack a lunch and then fall backward.

“I always thought it was cool," Stewart said of Jackson’s move. “I was like, 'Man, he did that because he was really fast.' I felt I was fast there.

“I was like Usain Bolt."

The Panthers (9-4) don’t need Stewart to be the fastest man on the planet, but they do need him to be a factor if they are to make a run in the playoffs.

Two of Carolina’s most impressive offensive outputs this season have come when Stewart rushed for more than 100 yards. He had 110 yards in a 45-21 victory over Miami on Nov. 13.

Stewart’s ability to carry the running game takes the pressure off Newton and actually makes the 2015 NFL MVP more effective as a runner.

The Vikings keyed on Stewart out of the read-option in the fourth quarter, leaving Newton a gaping hole on the left side for a 62-yard run that set up Stewart’s game-winning touchdown with just under two minutes remaining.

“Extremely big for us," Newton said of how important Stewart is to the running game.

It hasn’t seemed like he's been that critical this season. Stewart didn’t top 50 yards rushing in eight of the first 12 games. He bottomed out with minus-4 yards on eight carries against Philadelphia on Oct. 12.

The 60-yard touchdown run was a statement that he’s still got it.

“I’m just excited for him," said Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil, who played an entire game for the first time since the opener. “He’s an incredible football player. I know when running backs get older, people like to start pushing them out the door.

“For him to run that far and score, it’s huge for him, huge for us. It’s a big confidence boost for the offense."

Rivera said the coaching staff never “doubted" Stewart.

“That’s why we kept putting Jonathan back out there," he said. “We believe in who he is for us, and he has been solid. He is getting stronger."

Stewart also apparently is getting more comfortable showing his personality on touchdowns.

“I probably had a couple of them where I could have done that but never have," Stewart said. “But I’ve always wanted to."

Stewart referred to a song that is his secret weapon. Running back Fozzy Whittaker isn’t sure, but believes it’s “Starboy."

Teammates now are calling Stewart “Starbucks," a play on the song.

“I don’t know if that song is his secret weapon, but he’s got plenty of secret weapons," Whittaker said. “It’s a matter if he’s going to share it or not."

Stewart shared a side of him Sunday few have seen with his touchdown flop. He showed some flash.

Drip.

Is there more to come?

“You’ll just have to wait and see," Stewart said. “I have a lot of things up my sleeves."