Cat Crave
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Panthers: Cam Newton disrespected in NFL.com rankings

By Danny Jaillet

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 07: Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers avoids a tackle by Tyeler Davison #95 of the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 7, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 07: Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers avoids a tackle by Tyeler Davison #95 of the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 7, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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The Carolina Panthers quarterback was ranked rather low…

Another day, another instance where Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is disrespected by the national media.

NFL.com released their rankings of the top 10 quarterbacks heading into the 2018 season. The list predictably features some of the best arms in the National Football League today. Cam Newton was on the list, checking in at No. 9. That is way too low and is certainly material for criticism. However, it is only fair to look at David Carr’s analysis and why he put Newton at this spot on the list.

"He’s the LeBron James of the NFL. If you need him to run 20 times in a game, he can. If you need him to throw for 400 yards, he can do that, too. He’s so hard to tackle and makes defenses account for him, which gives the Panthers favorable matchups downfield. In his 2015 MVP season, Cam was throwing as well as anybody. If he can get back to that level consistently, there’s no reason he can’t be in the top three."

I give credit where it is due and I will give Carr this. He notes that if Newton can be more consistent, he can be a top-three quarterback in the league. I am sure many Carolina Panthers fans would agree with him on that anyway. However, I would put Newton above several quarterbacks on this list, just because he brings more to the table.

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I would put him at the sixth spot ahead of Matthew Stafford and drop Stafford to the Np. 9 spot. Statistically speaking, Stafford threw for more touchdown passes (29) and less interceptions (10), but his quarterback rating (62.8) was lower than Newton’s (80.7). Furthermore, Stafford led his team to a 9-7 record (good for second place in the NFC North) while Newton led his team to an 11-5 record and a tie for first place in the NFC South.

I understand that the Detroit Lions record is not entirely Stafford’s doing. To pin it all on him would be a stupid thing to do. However, in terms of this list, Stafford did not make the playoffs, Newton did. That alone should drop Stafford down a few spots.

Next: ESPN puts Love on bubble

Cam Newton deserves more credit than he got on the part of these rankings. Then again, it may be just more fuel for the fall.

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