After Further Review: Cam Newton is making the evolution to an elite QB
We all may heart Russell Wilson right now, but Cam Newton is really the one taking quarterbacking to the next level.
By
Pete Prisco
•
12 min read
When I sat down to talk with Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton last summer, I noticed a real change in him, a maturing man who seemed light years away from the Newton of his first two seasons.
Then again, as some of the recent NFL happenings have reminded us -- like Adrian Peterson -- the small glimpse into the players' football lives only gives us a chance to make snap decisions about who we think they are as people. But when I left the interview with Newton that day, I thought he came off as a more reflective quarterback, one more willing to take on the responsibilities of playing the marquee position in sports.
The notion that he was a player who didn't care, a quarterback who could only succeed in some gimmicked-up offense to take advantage of his legs, with a look-at-me attitude of a player who would never lead a team the right way seemed something he wanted to disprove -- and would disprove.
Fourteen months later, I think we're seeing just that, which is why we are watching a different Newton play quarterback. His numbers aren't outrageously gaudy, but Newton is playing one of heck of a brand of quarterback for the Panthers right now.
Like he has seemingly off the field, he has matured on it as well. Newton is growing into a quality pocket passer. There have been a lot of mechanical fixes, bad flaws that have been erased, and Newton has become so much better at seeing the field than he was when he burst onto the NFL scene as the first overall pick in 2011.
The Panthers are 3-2-1 after tying Cincinnati last week. Were it not for Newton, it would be a lot worse. That's how good he's played since missing the opener at Tampa Bay with a rib injury.
On an offense that features a line that is so-so, a depleted running backs group and a receiving corps that is topped by a rookie and hobbled tight end with little else, Newton has quietly, yes, quietly, evolved into a quarterback worth all the fanfare.
Yet the spotlight train somehow has left him at the station. The slightly newer-kid quarterbacks are riding high on it, with Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick waving to the adoring crowds as Newton stands on the platform just hoping to get back on.
It's a far cry from when Cam Newton was the NFL's version of The Truman Show, where everything he did, from critiques of his smile to his dad's doings to his towel-covered sulks on the sideline, led the news cycles.
Has Cam Newton become old news? Is he now boring?
That's just it: To the football purists, he's become what he should have become, what he needed to become, which is a polished passer who still has the athletic ability to run when called to do so. It's just not a crutch anymore. It's a weapon, even if it's not as glitzy as when he was taking off for 40-yard runs, running over linebackers and leading everyone to say he's the prototypical new-wave quarterback.
Newton can wear all the wacky outfits he wants after games, but let's be real: He doesn't get the attention some of the other new-breed quarterbacks get.
He doesn't have Wilson's ring.
He doesn't have Luck's numbers.
He doesn't have Kaepernick's speed and grace in the open field.
What he has is the ability now to stand in and make all the throws. I studied him closely this week, and what I saw was a passer first and a runner second. Having offseason ankle surgery, coupled with the rib injury, may have helped him become better in the pocket. We saw him grow in that aspect last season when the Panthers went 12-4, but this season he's even better.
Running around with a sore rib isn't smart. Not with big, nasty, angry defenders putting their helmets smack dab on it. So Newton, up until last week, stayed in the pocket.
In his first four starts, Newton ran just 14 times. He ran it 17 times for 107 yards last week against the Bengals, just to remind opposing defenses that he can still do it when it's required, ensuring opposing defenses still have to account for this huge menu of offerings. Newton has thrown for 1,267 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions, which might not seem like great numbers, but the tape shows his growth as a passer.
It also shows how much better he is in terms of mechanics. Here's a look at a play from a 2012 game against the Giants, a Week 3 affair in which Newton threw three interceptions and was benched late. It was a game that led to a sideline sulk, but what I saw on the tape was a quarterback who lacked the proper footwork and had a motion far too long.
Take a look:
You can see how long his delivery was back then. And also look at the choppy steps before he threw what was an interception.
Now take a look at this end-zone shot from a throw against the Bears in Week 5 this season. Notice how tight and quick the motion is now.
The changes he's made in his footwork and motion have helped his accuracy, but it's his ability to stay patient in the pocket and not bail that has made him a better quarterback. In his first few years, he would read one side of the field and then get out of the pocket and run. Now he makes full-field reads and he will come off a covered receiver to make a play on the opposite side of the field. That's the kind of growth needed to be an effective NFL passer.
Here is a look at one of those plays from a loss at Baltimore two weeks ago.
Play: Third-and-10 at the Carolina 22 with 12:28 left in the second quarter.
Offense: (Posse 3WR, 1TE, 1 RB) TE Greg Olsen lined up in backfield next to Newton in shotgun.
Defense: Nickel, two-deep, man-under, five-man rush.
In the shotgun, Newton took the snap and initially opened to his left. He wanted to throw to rookie Kelvin Benjamin on a slant. But the Ravens doubled him as inside linebacker C.J. Mosley read Newton's eyes and helped take away the slant.
Rather than panic, Newton turned his body to the right and fired a strike to Jerricho Cotchery for 30 yards and a first down. Safety Matt Elam had great coverage on Cotchery, but Newton dropped a perfect pass over his ear for a big play.
Time and again in the games I studied, I saw Newton come off receivers and go to the other side for first downs. It's a part of his game that shows continued growth, but also shows that he's putting in the time to be a better quarterback. That doesn’t just happen.
I know a lot of people get excited to see him rush for 100 yards like he did last week, but that's not going to decide whether he becomes an elite quaterback. It's about growth in the pocket, and he's clearly showing it.
The spotlight train needs to let him back on. He's playing too well for too few to notice.
More film study observations
Four things to know about the Lions defense: The Lions have the top-rated defense in the NFL. There are a lot of reasons why. It starts with coordinator Teryl Austin, who is doing a heck of a job with his blitzes and schemes. But it takes players to make it work. Here is some of what I saw on tape from the Lions defense:
1. They, as expected, are really good on the interior with Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and an underrated C.J. Mosley. Fairley has really played well lately after a slow start. He is playing for a new contract, and it's showing. Right now, he is the player the Lions expected him to be. He is quick, powerful and has been a handful for offensive linemen. Playing next to Suh, who gets a lot of doubles, Fairley is winning his individual battles. He isn't playing as well as Suh, but it's close after a slow start. Suh has three sacks and Fairley has two. Their ability to push the pocket inside is a big reason why the Lions lead the NFL in sacks with 20. They are also first in the league in sacks per pass play.
2. Weak-side linebacker DeAndre Levy. He is a three-down player who can run, tackle and cover. Levy is playing so well that he should be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year. He won't win it, but he's been that good so far. He has one sack on the season, but he's been a good blitzer and is getting pressures. His speed is so vital to what the Lions do on defense on third down.
3. The ends are having good seasons. Jason Jones is a solid veteran player, but it’s the younger ends in Ziggy Ansah, George Johnson and Devin Taylor who will by key moving forward. They are the speed rushers. Jones does play inside in some third-down packages, which he is capable of doing. Ansah is the player in this group who has star potential. When the Lions picked him in the first round of the 2013 draft, he was a raw former basketball player who had a ton of talent but little experience. As a rookie, that showed up. He started slowly this season, but he was sensational against the Vikings with 2 1/2 sacks, good play in the run game and he did some nice things when they dropped him in coverage, showing off his athletic ability. Here's a look at Ansah making a great play on a screen pass when he dropped into coverage.
On the play, Ansah took a nice drop, and then took on Vikings guard Vladimir Ducassee. He quickly shed him and then made a nice tackle on Jerick McKinnon for a 2-yard loss.
4. The corners have held up. Veteran Rashean Mathis, who is 34, is having a solid season and second-year player Darius Slay has made big strides from his rookie season. It helps that they have the great pass rush up front. Safety Glover Quin is also having a good season behind them. The Lions are first in pass defense and in yards per pass play.
The Lions are showing that if you can pressure up front, it can help hide what was considered the weak link of the team in the secondary. This week, they will get a stiff challenge in Drew Brees and the New Orleans passing game. The defenses that have slowed Brees over the years are a lot like the Lions, good fronts that push the pocket.
Kalil among young left tackles struggling: When watching the Detroit defense from last week's game, I noticed that Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil was really struggling. I went back and watched some more Kalil tape and he is not having a good third season. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2012 draft has not taken the steps forward that many expected. But then he's not alone among the young tackles struggling.
Of the 11 tackles drafted in the first round the past three seasons, there are only a few who aren't struggling. Detroit's Riley Reiff, taken No. 23 in 2012, has been one of the better tackles taken the past three years. The rest have had some major issues. Justin Pugh of the Giants played well for much of this season, but was horrible against the Eagles last week. The top two picks of the 2013 NFL Draft, Eric Fisher (Kansas City) and Luke Joeckel (Jacksonville) haven't come close to playing to the level of expectations. Jake Matthews, taken No. 6 overall by the Falcons this year, has been terrible. He was abused last week by the Bears front. Greg Robinson, taken second by the Rams, is just now playing -- and it's at guard. First-round pick from 2014, Taylor Lewan, did some good things last week in his first start for the Titans, taking over for injured Michael Roos.
There have been some positive moments for right tackles like D.J. Fluker (more last season than this one) and rookie Ja'Wuan James (Dolphins). For the most part, the first-round tackles have not seen their careers get off to good starts. Among the tackles taken in those drafts outside the first round who are playing solid football are Green Bay left tackle David Bakhtiari, a fourth-round pick in 2013, and Ravens right tackle, Ricky Wagner, a fifth-round pick in 2013, and Browns right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, a 2012 second-round pick. Saints left tackle Terron Armstead, a 2013 third-round pick, got off to a slow start this season, but he has played better in his recent games.
J.J. Watt Play of the Week: J.J. Watt's performance last Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts is the reason I include him in this section every week. I love watching his tape. He plays hard every play, and his relentless style is a tribute to his desire to be great. The Colts tape featured a lot of great Watt plays. Many of them you saw over and over again, including his fumble recovery for a touchdown. But as I usually do here, I like to highlight a play other than the obvious. This one came with 13:32 left in the game.
The Colts had a second-and-9 from the Indianapolis 41. They Colts tried an inside run to Ahmad Bradshaw. Watt was lined up in the gap between tackle Gosder Cherilus and tight end Dwayne Allen in their 3-4 scheme. He was a 5-technique shaded to the outside shoulder of the tackle. At the snap, Cherilus and Allen doubled Watt, and he went down to a knee. That move caused Cherilus to come off the double -- obviously thinking Watt was blocked -- and move to the next level to get linebacker Brian Cushing. But Watt popped up off the ground, and used his great hands -- the underrated part of his game -- to power inside of Allen to tackle Bradshaw. Here's a look at the play:
That play sums up Watt's game. To make that play, it takes power, speed and, most of all, desire. He was on one knee, buckled for a second, and still got up to limit the run to a 1-yard gain. That's why he's such a special player.
