The Carolina Panthers shook up the NFL landscape yesterday, bringing back old friend Cam Newton on a one-year deal. With Sam Darnold sidelined and not that good to begin with, Newton was clearly the best option available. However, does the former MVP have enough in his tank to lead this team to a Wild Card birth?
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How Much Does Cam Newton Have Left In His Tank?
The last time we saw Cam Newton, he didn’t look very good. Starting in 15 games for the New England Patriots, the former first-overall pick recorded 65.8% of his passes for 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while adding another 582 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.
The traditional statistics obviously weren’t great, and the advanced numbers didn’t paint a prettier picture. Out of the 33 quarterbacks that logged 300 or more plays, Newton ranked 25th in EPA+CPOE, 26th in EPA/play, and 30th in ESPN’s QBR.
Based on pure numbers, one might reasonably conclude that Newton is simply at the end of the road. However, a good portion of his struggles can be blamed on a terrible supporting cast. New England’s receivers and tight ends were arguably the worst in the league, and it’s hard to blame anyone for failing when Jakobi Meyers is the only NFL-caliber receiver on your team. Heck, Tom Brady faced similar struggles during his final year in New England, and it’s safe to say that he’s not washed up.
When looking at the film, Newton still has the ability to push the ball downfield. Maybe he can’t do it as consistently as he used to, but when New England asked him to throw deep, he usually did well. As a runner, he’s not as fast as he used to be, but he is still a great battering ram in short-yardage situations.
Cam Newton
– 2 Starts in NE
– 4 Rushing Touchdowns
pic.twitter.com/b7rvCAqkPx— PFF NE Patriots (@PFF_Patriots) September 21, 2020
Carolina’s Path to the Playoffs
The Carolina Panthers found a way to go 4-5 despite some of the worst quarterback play in the league. Sam Darnold was at or near the bottom of just about every efficiency metric in the league, and was actually less efficient this year than Newton was last year. By default, Newton will be an upgrade, especially since he’s working with his best supporting cast since 2013.
Newton and D.J. Moore played together in 2018, but the wide receiver was just a rookie and wasn’t close to reaching his ceiling. This version of D.J. Moore is easily Newton’s best receiver since Steve Smith, and the supporting cast of Christian McCaffrey, Robby Anderson, and Terrace Marshall has the potential to be the best grouping of Newton’s career.
Given these weapons, let’s assume that Carolina is able to function as a league-average passing attack moving forward. With a strong defense and solid coaching staff, this gives the Panthers a realistic shot of making the playoffs under normal circumstances. However, the upcoming schedule makes things a lot harder.
Overcoming A Gauntlet
The Carolina Panthers have arguably the hardest closing stretch in football. PJ Walker is going to start Sunday’s game against the white-hot Arizona Cardinals, so it’s safe to chalk that game up as a loss. From there, five of Carolina’s final seven games are against teams that stand a very real chance at the postseason.
Over the final five games of the season, the Panthers face the Falcons, Bills, Buccaneers, Saints, and Buccaneers again. The Panthers should be favorites against a weakened Saints team, but the other four matchups are going to be very difficult. They’ll need to go at least 2-2 in those four games if they want to stand any shot at the playoffs. It won’t be easy, but Cam Newton gives them the best shot of pulling off an unlikely playoff run.
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