www.panthermann.com

Cam Newton is an interesting character. He definitely has the heart of a champion, and on the college level, he is a champion. However, does that mean that his success at the college level will translate to success in the NFL? Most highly-touted college players don’t do well in the NFL because there is too much hype and pressure surrounding them. Cam Newton has thick skin. He’s not going be fazed by hype and pressure. On the other hand, does he have the talent?

By now, we all know that Cam Newton threw for over 400 yards in his first game ever in the NFL. What’s surprising about this is how amazed everyone was about such an event. It’s not amazing because he was playing against the Arizona Cardinals’ defense – one of the worst in the league – and the majority of his yards were to Steve Smith.

Let’s take a look at this situation for a moment. If the majority of his yards were to Steve Smith, that means the rest of his receivers weren’t getting open. It also means that future opponents will simply devise a game plan to shut down Steve Smith. Steve Smith is a good receiver, but let’s not get carried away. He had one great week. He’s not going to do that every week. In addition to that, let’s not forget how poorly Cam Newton threw the ball in preseason. Do you think he just magically became a great thrower with pinpoint accuracy? Highly unlikely. He was tossing the ball up against a weak defense. The Packers’ defense won’t be so kind, nor will most opponents they play.

Overall, Cam Newton isn’t a star or a fluke. He’s somewhere in the middle. Right now, he’s a rookie lacking experience who has a lot of heart, great mobile ability and a decent arm. This should win the Panthers more games than last year, but that’s not saying much.