Its in the Feet

[Mr. Scot]

When I am on the sidelines shooting Cam Newton on a passing play, more times than not I can tell you if it is a completion without even pointing my lens down field.

All I need to see are his feet.

If Cam looks like this....

There is a very good chance the pass is incomplete. Cam's accuracy issues all stem from his footwork in the pocket.

Conversely, if Cam's feet are firmly planted, weight shifting from back to front, there is a very good chance that pass is on target and possibly a reception. (Pictured below Cam throwing long bomb to Kelvin Benjamin.)

Obviously, often times Cam's footwork is dictated by the quality of protection provided by the offensive line. Many times a game Cam has little choice but to throw the ball with less than desirable technique. However, this is not all the time. Cam will sometimes revert to poor footwork when there is adequate room provided. This tells me he has little faith in his offensive line. Instead of trusting his front five to provide him with enough room to throw, Cam instead second guesses them and tries to make his throwing motion a smaller target, keeping his feet together and throwing off his back foot. Again, sometimes this happens when there is enough room for proper form.

The fix? An offensive line that can provide consistent protection that Cam can have faith in. I can't blame Cam for poor technique that stems from a problem that is not his own. Cam shows he can have picture perfect technique when he is absolutely sure he won't be hit. If/when the Panthers provide Cam with an offensive line that he can believe in, I feel you will see these footwork issues magically disappear.

You're highlighting a longtime worry of mine.

Playing behind a poor offensive line has a really unfortunate tendency to reinforce bad habits. You can spend all the time in the world trying to coach those things out, but if you force him to play in a shooting gallery, it's all for nothing.

[Who Said What?]

And the ones who refuse to praise him when he has a good game and refuse to give him credit for any win. It's always 'the defense won the game' . Those people, for whatever reason, have decided that they don't like Cam, and nothing he has or will do in the future is going to change that. It's so obvious. How can anyone never see anything good in his game? Pure bias. I can be critical if he has a bad game or makes a bad throw but it doesn't change my overall opinion that he is a rising star with the potential to lead us to the Super Bowl if surrounded with the right coaches and talent around him.

 

Exactly, its so frustrating when posts come out all "trade Cam" and "don't extend Cam".  While the Patriots were gelling on the offensive line, they were getting smashed and Brady was struggling to make plays.  Hell, look at Wilson yesterday.  He was the absolute definition of a game manager.  He missed wide open receivers just like any other QB without time.  Luck threw a pick six yesterday without anyone remotely close in the pocket. 

 

When Cam has time, he dices up defenses just like any other "elite" QB and struggles otherwise.  Any poster that calls you a homer for bringing up the fact that we are abysmal on o-line and saying he is not a franchise QB is an imbecile.

[OriginalPantherDan]

Completely agree the O line didn't help him but there were times when Cam almost gave up the play when the first defender burst through the line. Especially on the last two drives when the Seattle pressure was really getting to him.

Instead of kicking some of his O-line men right in the ass and blasting them for lack of protection he sort of resigned himself to the play breaking up.

Before everyone starts flaming, no I have never been hit by a 300 pound DE and no I don't know what the pressure of leading a drive with 40 seconds left.

But If my O line were costing us game after game and putting me in danger I'd go f@#king mental at them for not being able to give me near enough time to get the ball down field.

The thing I notice with Cam is he never yells at anyone. He should let them know his feelings sometimes, IMO. Brady? He yells when someone screws up. Manning? Rivers? Yep, and yep. Sometimes it can be constructive, and Cam might just benefit from it.

[Daeavorn]

The thing I notice with Cam is he never yells at anyone. He should let them know his feelings sometimes, IMO. Brady? He yells when someone screws up. Manning? Rivers? Yep, and yep. Sometimes it can be constructive, and Cam might just benefit from it.

 

That could be due to him not wanting to give the media anything to harass him with, or maybe that's just not the kind of football player Cam is?

 

I kind of lean towards the second. 

[OriginalPantherDan]

That could be due to him not wanting to give the media anything to harass him with, or maybe that's just not the kind of football player Cam is?

I kind of lean towards the second.

It likely is the latter, I just wish it weren't so. I'd like to see some more fire from him.