Entering his third season as the starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, Cam Newton will be used even more as the focal point for the offense not less.  In his 32 starts, he has thrown for more yards than any player ever in their first two years.  To be exact, he has passed for 7920 yards and 40 touchdowns.  In addition, he has run for 1,447 yards on 253 carries averaging almost 8 yards a carry with 22 touchdowns.  With numbers such as these, you can see why he will continue to be the main weapon in the attack. I argue that this will be an even more break out season for Cam based on a series of factor: his experience, there is no one like him, and the players on offense we have around him.

The first thing I want to tackle is his experience.  He is entering his third year, pretty much having learned on the job how to be a NFL starting quarterback.  It is his third year and he is no longer a kid at the game’s most important position leading grown men in their late 20′s and 30′s.  He has pretty much seen how NFL defenses will play him and will be even more prepared to attack them.  Having going thru the fires of two seasons, he will be expected to better equipped in managing his emotions because how he is acting does affect the team.  According to Coach Shula via the Associate Press, “Probably the biggest thing for him is maintaining that balance… “Because everything around you during the football season is going to be up and down. The more you can continue to stay on an even plane and lead the group of guys around you, the more effective you are going to be as a quarterback.”

Cam is unique because there is no one playing the position like him in the league.  Yes, there are other players who are mobile playing quarterback, with accurate strong arms also, but  his sheer size and athleticism is what sets him apart.  This player is 6’5 250 lbs, who can run like a running back and built like a defensive end.  When he gets past the linebackers, there are not many defensive backs willing to take him on.

Here is a video that shows some of his exploits from last year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN2ZMsi-eBE

The last reason I feel Cam Newton is the ultimate weapon for the panthers, are the players he has assembled around him.  Along with  DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert, and now Kenjon Barner they make up a punishing running attack.  Each back brings different abilities to the game.  It will be up to Offensive Coordinator Mike Shula to find the perfect balance to make them more effective on the field.  In the passing game, we have of course the ageless one, Steve Smith, Brandon Lafell, and new-comers to the team Domenik Hixon, and Ted Ginn. The offensive line has a good returning nucleus with Kalil and Gross leading the charges up front. The thing with the offense is, Cam Newton is not Eli or Peyton Manning.  The Panthers would be foolish not to take advantage of his talent running and passing and try to turn him into just a pocket passer.  According to a story on cnnsi.com, “Shula said Newton will still be used as a ball carrier but wouldn’t say how much the team will use the zone read option that Chudzinski used so frequently.”

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20130512/shula-says-newton-ready-to-take-big-step-forward.ap/#ixzz2TKLEntm2

Cat Crave

This to me says we can expect to see Cam running the zone read and spread just as frequent or even more as we did last year.  I understand the argument that Cam did better under the center last year, but that is where his year to year improvement comes in.  Last year, defenses may have caught on to what we were doing but once we started mixing it up better we took off and made a run in the second part of the season.  We were breaking in a new guard and once he got acclimated to the NFL things kind of took off.  With another year under their belts, I see a ball control offense with a lot of play action.  The zone read is not a fad, nor is it going away.  Proof of that can be found that one of the Last Super Bowl’s participants ran the pistol and pretty much ate folks up in the playoffs in their run to that game.

Mobile quarterbacks who are dual threats to run and pass are the now and future.  Pocket passers are the past.  I am glad we have the prototype in #1 Cam Newton.  What do you think Panther fans, disagree or agree, let us know in the comments section below.

The Carolina Panthers have really been coming into their own in the past four games, and it’s a real shame that it’s happening so late in the season. The real reason all this is happening at all is because of one man, Cam Newton.

Cam has been responsible for all eleven of the team’s touchdowns in the past four games, whether it’s been through the air or on the ground. That’s compared to twelve in the first nine games. Another change comes in the form of turnovers. Cam has not turned over the ball once in the past four games, compared to thirteen turnovers in his first nine games. The difference between the two parts of the season is night and day.

Dec 9, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) runs for a first down in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

So coming into Ron Rivera’s homecoming game, things should really be a cake-walk for the Panther’s Superman lead offense. The Chargers defense does rank ninth in total defense, but does rank 22^nd against the pass, something Cam has been excelling at in the past two months. Their run defense is the only thing that keeps their defense afloat, only allowing the Steelers to accumulate sixty-nine yards on sixteen carries. But the Steelers backfield pales in comparison to Tolbert, Newton, or Williams. The defense does have a knack for finding the end zone, tying with the Bears in defensive touchdowns. So looking forward all we really need to do is protect the ball, and establish the run early on.

As for the defense, we should be able to handle Philip Rivers. The N.C. State alum has only one real threat in Danario Alexander.  Antonio Gates has been seemingly irrelevant the entire season. Ryan Matthews has also been a disappointment for the franchise as well, so don’t expect to see too much out him. As long as we play solid, aggressive defense up front, and keep pressure on Rivers, we should be golden. My biggest concern however is the Secondary. I’d expect to see Godfrey and rookie D.J. Campbell starting at the safety positions, while starting Cornerbacks will probably be…  I have no clue! That’s the problem; the somewhat stable position has been very unstable in the past week. Josh Norman was benched for some strange reason (I don’t buy Rivera’s actual reason), and Munnerlyn got the shaft halfway through the game to open up opportunities for James Dockery and first time starter, Josh Thomas. I completely understand why Rivera pulled the stunt, and I agree we should give young players more time, but they are young and inexperienced, so expect Rivers to exploit the openings in the secondary.

Cam is coming into the game red-hot. Cam isn’t the only one playing exceptionally well, Greg Olsen is breaking team records, and Steve Smith is one yard away from breaking the one thousand yard barrier for the seventh time in his career. We are missing two key players though, Dwan Edwards and Geoff Hangartner, and our Offensive Line makes some big switches with Jeff Byers, Thomas Austin, and Gary Williams all coming in and filling the Center, Left Guard, and Right Guard positions respectively. Brandon LaFell might not play again for a second consecutive week, though he is a game time decision, but I expect him to play since his turf toe injury isn’t as serious as previously thought.

December 2, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (85) runs onto the field during player introductions prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

With all that in mind, I plan on making my first game prediction on Cat Crave. Cam again plays an exceptional game, and Kuechly has a better game than he did against the Falcons. I think Rivers will pick our secondary apart, and throw for over two hundred yards, while Antonio Gates has his best game of the season. Cam will keep us in the game however with three touchdowns, one of them to Olsen, and the other to LaFell or Smith, while the third will be on the ground. Graham Gano proves to be clutch making two field goals. Panthers take this one 27-24.

So that’s my prediction, but what do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

I found all my information on the official San Diego Chargers website.

1. Cam Newton – Cam had the best game of the season against the Atlanta Falcons. Two hundred and eighty seven yards and two touchdowns through the air. Another one hundred and seventeen on the ground, with of course a seventy-two yard touchdown to cap off a very impressive game. He also showed that he could actually lead our team, something that many critics thought he wasn’t capable of. Great game Cam.
2. The Receiving Unit – Greg Olsen ended up with fifty-five yards and a touchdown, Louis Murphy had five catches for thirty-six yards, and of course Steve Smith had one hundred and nine yards off of seven receptions. They played extremely well, and without the presence of the second receiver Brandon LaFell no less. Steve Smith also recorded his second consecutive one hundred yard game, the forty third of his career, and tied for tenth all-time in NFL receivers. Looks like Smitty hasn’t lost touch with what makes him great.
3. Mike Tolbert and DeAngelo Williams – I love when DeAngelo plays well. His touchdown pass off the screen play was a thing of beauty. His runs out of the back field weren’t too bad either. Mike Tolbert had a great game as well, even though he wasn’t used as often as I would have liked. He did pull through where we needed him, on third downs, and he had at least four that I can remember. Hats off to the Offensive Line, who played extremely well, and opened up some big holes up the middle, and protected Cam reasonably well throughout the game.
4. Defensive Backs – The secondary used throughout the game was a rag-tag group of players, half of which would have been practice squad players. James Dockery, Colin Jones, Josh Thomas, and D.J. Campbell all got huge amounts of playing time, and really shut down Matt Ryan during the first half. They didn’t play at that same level during the second half, but to be honest I wasn’t expecting a whole lot out of the unit. Even with that in mind, they played phenomenally against one of the best Quarterbacks in the league.
5. Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly – Luke Kuechly is the DROY winner, hands down. With another sixteen tackle game under his belt, he leads the ENTIRE league in tackles, with one hundred and thirty. In my opinion Thomas Davis is the Comeback Player of the Year as well, even though Peyton has that wrapped up basically. His play sealed the deal for a Panthers win. I could go into detail about how much I love Thomas Davis, but I don’t want to bore anyone to death. Great job by both players.

A few more players deserve more than an honorable mention. Graham Gano is one of those players. His kickoffs were superb and without his three field goals, the team could have possibly lost the game. For all the Gano haters, all I have to say is give him a chance. Both Defensive and Offensive Lines deserve a lot of praise as well. Both have been severely hurt throughout the season, and still manage to produce at high levels. Great game was had by all, and I just hope this is a sign of good things to come.