Cam Newton: The Real Deal?

[Dahoss]

Obviously he has played well so far and is doing it with a less than stellar supporting cast. But let's put some things into perspective. He's throwing the ball a lot more than anyone thought he was going to be, because he HAS to.

Outside of the 53 yards Newton ran for today, he got a total of 18 rushing yards combined from DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

I don't think the guys talent was ever a question. He was the number 1 pick in the draft. What was questioned was whether he could transfer his college game to the next level. I think it's too early to decide if he can or not. It certainly looks like he should be able to have a long career if he continues to progress, but he still has a long way to go.

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Dahoss

Obviously he has played well so far and is doing it with a less than stellar supporting cast. But let's put some things into perspective. He's throwing the ball a lot more than anyone thought he was going to be, because he HAS to.

Outside of the 53 yards Newton ran for today, he got a total of 18 rushing yards combined from DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

I don't think the guys talent was ever a question. He was the number 1 pick in the draft. What was questioned was whether he could transfer his college game to the next level. I think it's too early to decide if he can or not. It certainly looks like he should be able to have a long career if he continues to progress, but he still has a long way to go.

All true. A couple of things to note. He's now got the highest yardage game for a rookie in NFL history and two of the three highest. He's one of only seven quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for over 400 yards in consecutive weeks. Before today, there were five but then he and Brady both joined that list. To have done it in his first two games is incredible. When you mention the yards gained by Williams and Stewart combined, I think that actually makes his accomplishment a little more impressive. When the defense knows you are going to be dropping back to pass everytime, it's easier to defend. You are right that the talent wasn't a question. I think that even the most optomistic high end expectations would have been for 250 yards passing, 50 yards rushing, and a couple of touchdowns. Nobody could have expected he'd make it look easier against NFL defenses, the defending champion at that, than he did against the SEC. Now this doesn't mean that next week, he can't go 18-40 for 190 yards and three more picks. But for these first two weeks, he's far exceeded any expectations.