{"id":90974,"date":"2020-07-02T06:45:13","date_gmt":"2020-07-02T10:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=90974"},"modified":"2020-07-02T06:45:13","modified_gmt":"2020-07-02T10:45:13","slug":"supercam-returns-cam-newton-film-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/07\/02\/supercam-returns-cam-newton-film-room\/","title":{"rendered":"SuperCam Returns? Cam Newton Film Room"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The sports world was shaken this weekend, as Adam Schefter broke the news that former MVP <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=NewtCa00,NewtCa20&amp;search=Cam+Newton&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cam Newton<\/a><\/strong> would be signing a one-year deal with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams2\/patriots\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New England Patriots<\/a>. Of course, people immediately crowned the Patriots AFC East champions. Why shouldn\u2019t they? Newton is one of the most explosive quarterbacks in NFL history and uniting him with the genius of <strong>Bill Belichick<\/strong> gives opposing defenses nightmares. Some thought that the reign of Foxborough was finally going to end after <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BradTo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tom Brady<\/a><\/strong> fled to Tampa Bay. Now? Experts and common fans alike believe that the reign may never end.<\/p>\n<p>However, there are skeptics out there about Newton. Some say that he can\u2019t throw or that he is not as mobile as he once was. Some refuse to believe that he could return to his MVP form. Is this true? Is SuperCam dead? I went to the tape to find out.<\/p>\n<p>I chose to watch Newton\u2019s film from the first game of 2019, where the Panthers hosted the LA Rams. In this game, he finished with a 65.7% completion percentage, 239 yards, and an interception. I decided to take a closer look at some of his throws and see if the reports of his demise have been exaggerated or not.<\/p>\n<h2>Cam Newton 2019 Week 1 vs the Rams<\/h2>\n<p>Newton\u2019s first pass of the game was batted down at the line of scrimmage, but then <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/McCaCh01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Christian McCaffrey<\/a><\/strong> made a great play on the ball and took it for a seven-yard gain. It was a bad throw and a bad start for Newton, saved by one of the top running backs in the NFL.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">First pass of the game: ball is tipped by a defender, but Christian McCaffrey makes a play on the ball and gains seven yards <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0KjFiooSVO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/0KjFiooSVO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Michael Hull (@Michael_Hull33) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Michael_Hull33\/status\/1278336387314524160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 1, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Newton then showed flashes of the old Cam. On back-to-back plays, he hit receiver <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MoorD.00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>D.J. Moore<\/strong><\/a>. The first was on a comeback route to the outside of the field. The ball was on time and on target. He then hit Moore on a route across the middle for another first down. While this ball wasn\u2019t as accurate, it was still on target enough for Moore to make the grab.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Cam showed signs of his old self early in the game, including this dart to DJ Moore on third and long <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MuQvJRgBPz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/MuQvJRgBPz<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Michael Hull (@Michael_Hull33) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Michael_Hull33\/status\/1278336792094289923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 1, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Newton missed far too many throws downfield. This one to Moore may have been the worst of the bunch, however.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">However, Newton struggled throwing the ball downfield overall. This misfire to Moore was especially poor. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yKs2Gw14qq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/yKs2Gw14qq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Michael Hull (@Michael_Hull33) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Michael_Hull33\/status\/1278337168071630852?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 1, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Newton was responsible for two turnovers in this game. The first one was this backward pass that was ruled a fumble. While the ball was tipped by Sampson Ebukam, it was a bad decision and a bad throw by Newton in the first place.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Cam committed two turnovers in this one, the first being this backwards pass turned fumble that was tipped by Sampson Ebukam <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iaHvdZG3N4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/iaHvdZG3N4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Michael Hull (@Michael_Hull33) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Michael_Hull33\/status\/1278337496775090178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 1, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s another example of Newton missing throws downfield, this one hitting a Rams\u2019 defender square in the back.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Newton misses Greg Olsen over the middle and the Panthers are forced to punt <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BZaR9kpl9B\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/BZaR9kpl9B<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Michael Hull (@Michael_Hull33) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Michael_Hull33\/status\/1278338306753925120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 1, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The bad throws outweighed the good, but Newton did get the Panthers into field goal range before the half with this pass to Moore.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Newton did a great job at the end of the half getting Carolina into field goal range, hitting DJ Moore with a strike over the middle <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ja8DQfPi64\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/Ja8DQfPi64<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Michael Hull (@Michael_Hull33) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Michael_Hull33\/status\/1278338672849551360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 1, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>2nd Half Struggles<\/h3>\n<p>The game unraveled for Newton in the second half. He continued to miss open receivers downfield and was ineffective with his feet. Some of that can be attributed to play-calling though, as the Panthers called just one designed run play for Newton, which went for a no gain.<\/p>\n<p>He also had two crucial plays in the fourth quarter that sealed the loss for Carolina. The first was this misfire on a critical third down. He overthrows <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/SamuCu00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Curtis Samuel<\/a> here. If that ball is on target, it is a minimum of a 20-yard gain.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Possibly Newton\u2019s worst throw that wasn\u2019t a turnover all game: misses Curtis Samuel on a crucial 3rd and 6 in the 4th quarter <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/W6qJLaGKXE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/W6qJLaGKXE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Michael Hull (@Michael_Hull33) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Michael_Hull33\/status\/1278339058155036672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 1, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Finally, Newton\u2019s biggest error in this game came in the most important moment. Down by 10 with under six minutes to go, the Panthers needed a scoring drive to remain in the contest. Newton forces this throw to Olsen and it is intercepted by Corey Littleton. It\u2019s a bad decision by Newton, as there were five defenders in the vicinity of Olsen. The ball was also well underthrown, making it easy for the linebacker to pick off.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The cardinal sin for quarterbacks: interceptions. Here Cam underthrows a ball intended for Olsen and is picked off by Corey Littleton to seal the gam for the Rams <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yJ0gbMJZcN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/yJ0gbMJZcN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Michael Hull (@Michael_Hull33) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Michael_Hull33\/status\/1278339399453941760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 1, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Overall Thoughts on Cam Newton<\/h2>\n<p>In my opinion, a lot of the errors by Newton in this game can be chalked up to rust. He had not played against an NFL defense since late 2018 and was coming off shoulder surgery. However, some parts of this film concern me. He barely hit any throws down the field and was ineffective with his legs. As previously mentioned, the mobility piece was not his fault, as the play calling was conservative to a fault. The throws downfield are the biggest issue. Newton averaged 6.2 yards per attempt in this game. For comparison, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/R\/RudoMa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mason Rudolph<\/a> averaged 6.2 during 2019. Only Mitch Trubisky had a lower YPA during the 2019 campaign (6.1).<\/p>\n<p>If I were a Patriots fan, I would temper my expectations for Newton. There\u2019s always a chance his arm strength is back, and the Rams game was just an outlier. He has had the time to build up his strength and speed this offseason. I will never bet against Bill Belichick. Maybe SuperCam returns and we see plays like this in New England next season.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Need to see Cam do this with the Pats \ud83d\udd25 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CameronNewton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@CameronNewton<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Patriots?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Patriots<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ICrjfW1pkB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/ICrjfW1pkB<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thecheckdown\/status\/1277408945070411777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 29, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>I hope Newton returns to MVP form; I really do. He\u2019s good for the game of football, and when he\u2019s on, there is no one in the NFL that can compete. It all comes down to the deep ball for me. If Newton is unable to throw it deep, it is hard to imagine him succeeding or even starting for the Patriots in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"V3PdI0k6R7F3hLDHOJITvQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1175133424\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'V3PdI0k6R7F3hLDHOJITvQ',sig:'GcyyR3f5gcwKx4TiCdTE81kW5BjypBCDGWUpCiQCCXE=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1175133424',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cam Newton was one of the most explosive and exciting quarterbacks of his era, but can SuperCam still play at that level? Let&#8217;s check out the tape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2803,"featured_media":90989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[430,367,922,2097,4137,982,192,38],"class_list":["post-90974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots","tag-bill-belichick","tag-cam-newton","tag-christian-mccaffrey","tag-curtis-samuel","tag-dj-moore","tag-greg-olsen","tag-los-angeles-rams","tag-new-england-patriots"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2803"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90974"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90974\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}