The Carolina Panthers walked out of Game 1 with a win but some are wondering if Cam Newton is rusty or not healthy.
The Carolina Panthers walked away from Week 1 of the 2017 season with a romp of a victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Getting off to a strong start was important to help push back the memories of the 2016 season. However, everything shouldn’t be considered “hunky-dory” in the Panthers camp. Looking at the way franchise quarterback Cam Newton performed last Sunday, the idea may be that he’s “rusty,” but some wonder if there’s more room for concern.
Newton ended the 23-3 victory with an effective stat line. He completed 14-of-25 passes for 171 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His QBR sat at 28.4 and his QB Rating hit 87.2 for the evening. He wasn’t a big factor in the running game as he brought in three yards on six attempts.
Those types of numbers aren’t the flashing red lights that fans should be concerned about. Instead, there were moments when Newton just did not look like himself — or he looked more like the rookie version of Newton who struggled with his accuracy and decision making.
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When Newton missed passes, he was badly overthrowing his targets. Against the rebuilding 49ers, that’s one thing. But when he faces their NFC South rivals and some of the tougher teams on the schedule, those groups will capitalize on the mistakes. Newton was harshly criticized early in his career for the numerous interceptions and bad throws he made. It would be unfortunate to see that situation occur again if this pattern continues throughout the 2017 season.
Newton is coming off a serious shoulder surgery that took away his ability to effectively practice for most of the preseason. He appeared in one series for the Panthers, one that ended in a touchdown, but that limited performance didn’t allow him to work out the rust that has been building. When coupled with the back pain that he’s been dealing with, it’s clear that Newton’s health should be a concern for Panthers fans and the front office alike.
Carolina welcomes the Buffalo Bills in this Sunday and the ESPN Matchup Predictor gives them a 75 percent chance to win the game. Buffalo’s defense is far from the best, but that doesn’t give Newton the room to continue making these mistakes.
Leadership within the Panthers made it clear that they intend to run him less this season and while Newton believes that ability is his go-to in some ways, the vicious hits he suffered in 2016 have to come to mind. The addition of Christian McCaffrey bolsters Carolina’s rushing core and takes a lot of that load off of Newton, which is important at this point in his career.
Next: NFL 2017: 20 Bold predictions for Week 2
The Panthers are bringing momentum and a strong offense into Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. The rout of the 49ers creates some excitement around the team, but there’s still lingering worries around whether or not Newton is completely healthy an devoid of the rust that’s built due to his lack of action during the offseason. Either way, the Panthers need their Superman to find that stride from the 2015 season and find it before its clear something is amiss.