{"id":124644,"date":"2021-11-12T10:30:43","date_gmt":"2021-11-12T15:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=124644"},"modified":"2021-11-12T07:02:27","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T12:02:27","slug":"does-cam-newton-have-anything-left","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/11\/12\/does-cam-newton-have-anything-left\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Cam Newton Have Anything Left?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[pickup_prop id=”15204″]<\/p>\n

How Much Does Cam Newton Have Left In His Tank?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The last time we saw Cam Newton, he didn\u2019t look very good. Starting in 15 games for the New England Patriots<\/a>, 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The traditional statistics obviously weren\u2019t great, and the advanced numbers didn\u2019t 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\u2019s QBR.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019s receivers and tight ends were arguably the worst in the league, and it\u2019s hard to blame anyone for failing when Jakobi Meyers is the only NFL-caliber receiver on your team. Heck, Tom Brady faced similar struggles<\/a> during his final year in New England, and it\u2019s safe to say that he\u2019s not washed up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When looking at the film, Newton still has the ability to push the ball downfield. Maybe he can\u2019t do it as consistently as he used to, but when New England asked him to throw deep, he usually did well<\/a>. As a runner, he\u2019s not as fast as he used to be, but he is still a great battering ram in short-yardage situations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cam Newton<\/p>\n

– 2 Starts in NE
– 4 Rushing Touchdowns
pic.twitter.com\/b7rvCAqkPx<\/a><\/p>\n

— PFF NE Patriots (@PFF_Patriots) September 21, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n