4 keys to victory for the Carolina Panthers vs. Washington in Week 11

Carolina Panthers must make sure Cam Newton is prepared

Cam Newton pumped up the fanbase with his two straight touchdowns on Sunday. But the limited amount of reps the former MVP got showed just how little of the playbook he had a grasp of at that point.

Who could blame Newton though?

The quarterback had less than a week to learn an entirely new system, and getting on the field at all is nothing short of impressive.

The Carolina Panthers need to really lock in at practice this week and make sure that Newton familiarizes himself with the scheme, at least a simplified version of it, as not being on the same page with your teammates is never ideal.

So much of the quarterback position is built on trust, chemistry, and anticipation. If a receiver runs a post and the signal-caller is expecting a seam, bad things happen.

Newton is a veteran, however, and with his newfound mindset, the Auburn product seems to be locked in and willing to do the work to lead this team to success again.

That is a very important part of this return working. If the quarterback isn’t completely sold out then no amount of coaching will accomplish anything.

D.J. Moore and Christian McCaffrey being the top two weapons on the team will certainly help as both were drafted when Newton was still in Carolina. Even if neither had really blossomed by the time the signal-caller’s injury problems began.

Newton needs to learn how this team works fast to be ready by Sunday. If he isn’t quite ready the Panthers shouldn’t force anything and ease him in a little more against the Washington Football Team while leaving P.J. Walker at the helm.

We all want to see No. 1 leading the team to victory again. But only when he’s ready.