Bold Prediction: Cam Newton Will Have A Career Year & Exceed His Best Completion Percentage

[Saca312]

Once upon a time, Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton Won NFL MVP in 2015. After throwing for 3,387 yards, rushing for 636, and accounting for 45 touchdowns (10 rushing), Cam Newton led the 15-1 Panthers to their second Superbowl appearance since their inception in 1995. Although the outcome of that Superbowl wasn’t favorable, the 2015 Panthers season was still the epitome of one of Cam’s best.

However, the 2016 season proved to lean towards the opposite extreme. Cam Newton put up the NFL’s worst completion percentage (52.9%) while accounting for only 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. It was by far Cam Newton’s worst career year. Rather than rising out on top, Cam fell straight to the bottom. It was not the best looking year for the former NFL MVP.

So, what exactly went wrong? Why was the NFL’s #1 scoring offense so inept after a historic 15-1 season? More importantly, will Cam Newton rebound this year?

The simple answer to the last question is yes. After all, it would be pretty tough to even match as low of a year as Cam had. Logic points towards Cam simply trending up.

However, don’t expect Cam Newton to just stop at “being better than last year.” Sure, that will happen, but he has potential to do more than just that.

In fact, go ahead and expect Cam Newton to surpass his 2015 MVP performance with a career year. Yes, that year where he nearly won unanimous MVP and led one of the NFL’s worst wide receiver corps to a Superbowl.

Expect him to exceed his all-time passing highs and completion percentage with relative ease after one of his worst seasons to date.

Not convinced? Well, take a look at this article below:

http://www.carolinahuddle.com/2017/09/03/carolina-panthers-cam-newton-7/

[Kevin Greene]

I think this prediction is reasonable.

I can't wait see when protection breaks down or coverage down the field is good our new top pick pops free as the safety valve.

[jfra78]

Hope you're right Saca, if so We win the Superb Owl and Cam ensures his place in the Hall of Fame

[KillerKat]

Only things I'm worred about is Samuel's health, Funchess as well as Sheppard since they didn't show anything in the preseason. If KB can continue his fire that he showed, he would be a tremendous weapon for Cam to use other than Olsen and CMC. Any other help would be greatly needed.

[rayzor]

i can see this happening, but i can also see u being held back by a timid rivera and/or a shula that still has trouble making quick decisions and might, instead, revert back to the long drawn out pass plays that made life miserable for cam.

i know what i'm hoping for. i know what we're capable of. i just don't know about the coaching. i just don't trust them and, really, the GM at all.

[top dawg]

I would say that ever since the talk of an evolution on offense and the subsequent signing of versatile, speedy, and somewhat interchangeable, weapons Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel that a marked increase in Cam's overall efficiency in the pocket---especially  his completion percentage---is more of an expectation than a bold prediction.  

@KillerKat's reservations about Funchess and Shepard, so I would have liked to have seen us "finish the deal" in order to give Cam his absolute best shot at being most effective by drafting Chris Godwin, or acquiring some other more talented or effective route runner via draft or free agency. In my opinion, obtaining that extra route technician at wide receiver who could completely and consistently break his man down on offense without question would have been optimal. That being said, the weapons we presently have on offense (in Benjamin, Olsen, Funchess, McCaffrey, Samuel, Shepard, Byrd, Whittaker, and even Stew) can have enough of the "right stuff" to make Cam's job much much easier than in season's past. But, like @rayzor said, a lot of it will come down to coaching.                                                                                    It sounds like I have less skepticism than Rayzor. I don't think that CMC and Samuel would have been drafted hadn't Rivera and Shula been resolute in their desire to make the necessary changes/tweaks necessary to get Cam and the offense moving. Hell, Shula was grumbling about more toys to play with well before the relative disaster that was last season. And this offseason (specifically in the Jonathan Jones article on Cam), Shula talked about the importance of playing chess with the opposition, keeping them off balance, and identifying and using all of the pieces at hand to most effectively succeed. Ron didn't just go to bat for Shula for the sake of continuity, he did it because he believes in the ideas that Shula had to improve the offense and make it work. When they convinced Dave Gettleman that it was in everyone's favor that he essentially double dip with CMC and Samuel, that meant they were all in for evolution. And yes, I did say "convince" because it's a coach's job to get the GM to draft the pieces to make a vision work, and some managers have harder heads than others, overstepping into coaching when they have no business doing so. I don't see Marty Hurney as that kind of GM, so I don't have that worry.  This season is all about moving forward, maximizing your weapons and becoming more effective with the ultimate weapon, Cam Newton, at the center of it all. 

[WOW!!]

I agree this isn't bold at all. I think this is the best set of weapons he has had around him since his rookie year..

[rayzor]

I think they intend to evolve. I just doubt their commitment and ability to stay with it. Rivera has become Reverta too often, going back to old ways after you think he'd finally gotten his act together. I'm hopeful and fairly optimistic, but I'm also in "show me you mean it" stage.

Next Sunday we'll get a glimpse of if they are all in on the evolution.

[rayzor]

5 minutes ago, WOW!! said:

I agree this isn't bold at all. I think this is the best set of weapons he has had around him since his rookie year..

Probably the best line, too.

Bar is set pretty low on both accounts, tho.

[redbuddha]

Bolder prediction: Cam Newton with new weapons makes great strides in completion percentage, and yardage setting offensive records for the Panthers, and some struggling franchise offers Shula a head coaching position.

[Cyberjag]

A truly bold prediction would be that he leads the NFL in completion percentage, like Wilt Chamberlain led the NBA in assists one year.

I'm looking forward to next Sunday, when our new look offense is finally unveiled.

[Jeremy Igo]

He just had surgery on his throwing shoulder. 

 

A whole lot of people tend to gloss over that fact. 

[Cyberjag]

29 minutes ago, Jeremy Igo said:

He just had surgery on his throwing shoulder. 

 

A whole lot of people tend to gloss over that fact. 

He's had five months to recover, and a team of doctors and rehab specialists who are monitoring his progress daily.  If he couldn't throw, he wouldn't be out there.

With that said, he may have some rust, but I don't think we are going to be relying on his long ball to pick up the win.

[LUUUUUKE]

I agree on Cam, and I hope his shoulder holds up. Not concerned about soreness or lack of zip on the ball. I'm far more concerned about him taking a hit or an awkward fall and a 300 lb DT/DE landing on it.

My bold prediction is that when it's all said and done this year, Funchess will have more yards and TDs than KB. I really do believe that he has a breakout season.