QB No. 14: Cam Newton

So now we come to Cam Newton, third year quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. If you read my previous article on Colin Kaepernick, then you'll see a lot of the same stats and arguments in this piece. Sorry. Just had to make a comparison yesterday and set the record straight.

Cam Newton dazzled in his rookie campaign, completing 60% of his passes while throwing for just over 4,000 yards, 21 TD, and 17 INT. Oh, and he rushed for 706 yards and an incredible 14 TD! Last year, he and the Panthers got off to a horrible start, losing six of their first seven games. During that stretch Cam posted a 5:8 TD-INT ratio. He had a 100+ passer rating only twice, and three times his passer rating was under 60. Plus, his immaturity was shining through. He was often seen on the sidelines isolated, with a towel around his head, giving off the appearance that he was pouting. His demeanor angered some of his teammates and the media began attacking his character, as well as his play on the field.

But then something changed. I'm not sure what is was, or when it occurred. Over the final nine games, the Panthers went on to win six of those. Now, after a 1-6 start, one would have thought Cam and the Panthers would've folded the tent. They did not. Two of the six wins were extremely impressive. They first beat the Washington Redskins on the road 21-13, a game in which Cam outplayed the new, exciting, and prolific rookie RG3. Then, in the second weekend of December, Carolina beat down an Atlanta team that would go on to claim home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In my opinion, it was Newton's best game of the season because of what he did, and who he did it against.

So although many people believe Newton regressed last year, I choose to look at how he closed the season, and have come away impressed. In those last nine games, Newton passed for 2,168 yards, 14 TD, 4 INT while rushing for 436 yards and 5TD. Like I stated earlier, Cam and the Panthers could have folded the tent. But they didn't. Which speaks to a growth in maturity, and in leadership from Cam Newton. Now, he's still woefully inaccurate at times, and will eventually need to learn to avoid taking SO many hits. But I still liked what I saw to end the season, and I'm expecting another big step forward this season.

Projections: 4,100 yards 26 TD, 15 INT, 600 rush yards, and 7 rush TD