Cam Newton Quiets the Critics

Added on Sep 12, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

Who saw this coming? Not much was expected of Carolina Panthers number one pick Cam Newton in his first start under center. He struggled during the preseason and given the short amount of time to absorb a professional offensive playbook, it seemed safe to assume his learning curve would be steep. Well, for one week, Newton stuck a muzzle on his many critics after throwing for a record-breaking 422 yards.

The final stats: 24/37, 422 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception; 8 rushes, 18 yards, 1 touchdown. Those 422 yards were the most by any rookie in a regular-season opener in NFL history. More than Dan Marino. More than Peyton Manning. More than Matt Ryan.

He completed passes to eight different receivers, led by Steve Smith’s eight grabs for 178 yards and two scores. It was Smith’s best game since Week 15 of the 2009 season when he snagged nine balls for 157 yards and a touchdown.

Newton made Panther fans quickly forget Jimmy Clausen, Matt Moore and Jake Delhomme, whose ineptitude plagued the team for the last two seasons. He moved well inside the pocket, recognized the blitz and delivered the ball on time into tight spots.

It would be easy to dismiss Newton’s stunning performance as a product of Arizona’s terrible secondary. Fair enough. The Cardinals were missing Greg Toler and Michael Adams, and traded away Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the offseason. In addition, Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson played with an ailing biceps.

That being said, 422 yards on the road against any NFL defense is an impressive feat, especially for a rookie with suspect passing skills making his first start. Now, it wasn’t all wine and roses for Newton. He threw a costly pick and took some punishing hits that will add up as the season progresses. And most importantly, the Panthers lost the game.

Stats are great for fantasy, but quarterbacks are ultimately judged by wins and losses. Newton won’t look as good as he did on Sunday every week. He’ll lay a few eggs and make his share of dumb mistakes, but as far as debuts are concerned, they don’t get much better than the one we witnessed yesterday.