Is Cam the Man?
Aug
23
Written by:
8/23/2011 4:08 PM
Well, we are two weeks into the preseason and there are more questions than answers surrounding the 2011 Carolina Panthers. Going into week three this week at Cincinnati, Coach Ron Rivera has named Cam Newton the starter and stated he will play three quarters. While this is not a definitive statement that Cam will be the starter game one at Arizona, it is a clear indication that this is the direction the staff is leaning. While there is some excitement around the play of Newton, the consistency is still lacking. A lot of people will make the comment that Cam is a rookie that didn’t have all of the mini-camps and so forth, but the NFL is all about execution. GM’s, Coaches and Fans alike don’t care how things are done as long as they are successful and lead to wins. Cam Newton does seem to be the quarterback that this staff is hitching their wagon to and while I think it is the right move, there will be some growing pains. Newton has to get much better at not throwing off his back foot and moving through his progressions. These have been the biggest issues noticeable to my eye. These should be, “fixable” issues and hopefully Newton and company are working towards correcting these.
The next logical question is what does this mean for Derek Anderson and Jimmy Clausen? Clausen will get the snaps in the fourth quarter Thursday and may be possibly playing to determine his trade value. Derek Anderson has played minimally in the preseason and expect that trend to continue up until potentially game four at home against the Steelers. Anderson has not seen a lot of playing time so that Newton and Clausen could battle for the starting spot and Anderson is the veteran backup fans were screaming for last season. Better late than never?
After game one, many were anticipating some great things from this team and following last week’s performance in Miami, those expectations have been dialed back. Personally there seems to still be more issues that need to be resolved. First, the defense that was supposed to be the strength of the team was shredded in both the run and passing game. Some of the starters, such as Beason didn’t play, but you can not write off that entire lackluster performance on that. The secondary seems to be the place with the largest areas of concern on defense. This new system places a lot more emphasis on coverage and I am not certain that the personnel currently on this roster is best suited for that defense. On the other side of the ball, Jeff Otah and his knee have been an issue that is carrying over from last season. Otah’s knee has been an ongoing saga for over a year and he is now doing some work in camp, but his return to action doesn’t seem to be imminent.
While Newton and company should play a brand of football this season that is more entertaining for the fans, one cannot help but wonder how long the excitement will last if the wins do not follow. How many people will come out to the Titans-Panthers game in mid November if their record is 2-6? The lack of a NBA Season seems all but certain right now, so at least they should not have to compete for those entertainment dollars this fall. People want to see a winning product on the field and attendance last season in Bank of America Stadium reflected that. Charlotte feels very much like a fair weather town at times, and sports franchises are not excluded from this. Give people a winning, exciting product this fall on the field at BOA Stadium and the people will come.
OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS
- In light of the recent allegations at Georgia Tech, UNC and now Miami, one has to wonder if ACC now stands for Always Caught Cheating?
- If Miami is found guilty of all of the allegations and is not given the death penalty, what does an institution have to do to receive the death penalty? Many feel that the death penalty not only harms that institution, but the institutions they compete against and the conference. While I agree, you have to establish more stringent punishments for schools that violate rules. One person made the comment that schools will do a cost analysis on determining if the potential punishment for a violation is worth it. The ball is in the NCAA’s court to make that decision.
- In wake of these most recent allegations, how would you like to be employed in a compliance department at a major University these days? Think they may be a little stressed out and overworked to ensure there are no smoking guns.
- The PGA playoffs begin this weekend. Who is the favorite to win the FedEx Cup?
- Kyle Busch, after winning at Michigan Sunday, pleaded guilty today to speeding at 128 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone in an area near a subdivision, a day care, and a church outside Mooresville back on May 24th. Busch pleaded guilty to speeding charges and "no contest" to charges of careless and reckless driving on Tuesday afternoon in an Iredell County Courtroom. Busch was sentenced to 30 days suspended, given a one-year unsupervised probation, fined $1,000 and lost his driver's license for 45 days. Busch was given a prayer for judgment on the reckless driving charge.