Putting Cam Newton’s horror show at the Dolphins into context

It’s easy to point the finger at Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton following the team’s disastrous loss at the Miami Dolphins in Week 12.

Considering the magnitude of Sunday’s game for the Carolina Panthers, their overall performance was nothing short of an embarrassment. A microcosm of how things have transpired for the team since a promising 3-0 start that sent expectations to a level this roster was unable to match.

It is a team sport, obviously. And this was woeful.

But there is always one player that carries the can more than most.

There’s no getting away from it, Cam Newton was horrendous at the Miami Dolphins and the strong start he’s made since returning to the Panthers came to an abrupt halt. The former NFL MVP was erratic in his distribution, looked flustered in the pocket, and was eventually benched when the game got out of hand in the fourth quarter.

This has inevitably come with the critics claiming Newton is washed and no longer capable of being a starting-caliber NFL quarterback.

Although nobody will be more disappointed than Newton, this shocking display needs a little bit of context attached to it before further judgment.

Many factors played a role in Cam Newton’s demise.

Firstly, the former Auburn star has been with the team for 19 days and hadn’t played a down in 2021 before that following his release by the New England Patriots. Learning a completely new system is bad enough, but to do it with minimal practice time midway through the campaign is even worse.

This also transitions to the chemistry with Newton’s weapons in the passing game. The timing just isn’t where it needs to be and resulted in two crucial early interceptions that left Carolina on the back foot thereafter.

Another glaring factor that played a role in Newton’s demise was the offensive line, which was overwhelmed by the blitz-happy Dolphins and gave the quarterback almost no time to go through his progressions in an efficient manner.

The Panthers were unprepared.

And they paid the price.

Newton’s final stat line was incredibly bad, completing just five of 21 passes (23.81%) for 92 passing yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also carried the ball five times for three yards and a score.

A 5.8 passer rating was a testament to how much Newton struggled. Even it wasn’t all his own doing when one examines things a little closer.

As Cam Newton said best, the Panthers aren’t just going to win games with his presence alone. If anything, his return gives them a bigger bullseye on their back. Something the signal-caller wants to address in full on their long-awaited bye week.

"“I would take this time to really dive into the whole offense. I think today it really got exposed because of the situation, and not having a full grasp. But it’s not nobody to blame more so than just the situation that I came into. So having this week to kind of self-scout, so to speak, and really dive into the root of what this offense is about and that’s what I plan on doing.”"

The Panthers are in a tough spot right now. They sit at 5-7 after two straight losses and there appears little hope Matt Rhule’s men can make the postseason or even attain a winning record when one considers the level of competition they’ll face after the bye week.

Morale is at an all-time low. And it might not be much longer before the players begin to lose complete faith in this coaching staff.

Newton came back because he loves the city, the Panthers, and the fans. But what comes next for the iconic figure is going to have severe ramifications one way or another regarding his future.

Adversity and overcoming it is nothing new for the No. 1 overall selection in 2011. But Newton isn’t getting any younger and this could be the toughest challenge of his career so far.