The Highlight Reel presents Armchair Quarterback Tuesday... on a Wednesday... for Week 7

Armchair Quarterback Tuesday…

 

Last year before the NFL season started, I expressed concern over the Carolina Panthers selecting Cameron Newton with the number one pick in the NFL Draft. Newton won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and Carolina improved from 2-14 to 6-10. It appeared that my concerns were unnecessary. Cameron Newton was on the verge of superstardom and Carolina was on the verge of achieving great things in 2012. Yeah, that has not happened.

Carolina is currently 1-5 with no signs of improving anytime soon. The offense is anemic. The defense is finally healthy but cannot carry the team solely. Newton, the leader of the Panthers, is currently passing for 58% with four touchdowns and five interceptions in five games. While his numbers are a regression from his stellar rookie season, Newton’s attitude shows that he is not taking any of the blame for Carolina’s lackluster season.

“It’s the same script, same director and it’s getting kind of boring,” Newton said after last week’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Newton passed for 222 yards and one touchdown in the 19-14 defeat. In throwing the offensive coordinator under the bus, Newton added:

“We’ve had ample opportunities. …and I sound like a broken record [but] this taste, this vibe and I’m not buying it, man, and I don’t know what it is but something is going to have to change and change real fast in order to make that next step because it’s the same old thing, same old thing.”

“Well everybody’s looking at it, it’s not just me. [We] try to find ways to keep games close and whether it’s me, I don’t know. Whether it’s the coordinator, I don’t know. …but we’ve got to find a way to change that.”

Everybody needs to get better. Not me though. I get mine.

“I’m not the play-caller,” Newton said after flailing his arms a bit. “I’m speaking for [Offensive Coordinator Mike Chudzinski] but you’ve to have a balanced offense. The running game hasn’t been as exciting as we want it to be but you still have got to call those plays.”

In criticizing everything about the offense, Newton conveniently left one name out: Cameron Newton. Newton has shown a “panic” on the field this season as defenses have adapted to his playing style and stopped what were easy big yardage gains last season. Newton has missed open opportunities to hit wide receiver Steve Smith and tight end Greg Olsen in every game this season. Newton has weapons around him but has struggled to execute. That is a Cameron Newton problem; not a blame the offensive coordinator problem. However, Cam refuses to see this because the young man has no experience with losing. He also has no experience with handling the heat from disappointed fans.

When Newton stole a laptop computer at the University of Florida and destroyed it in an attempt to hide it from authorities, Newton was injured and not playing for the gators. Fan disappointment was muted because the Gator fans were cheering a Godly boy named Timothy Richard Tebow. Add Newton’s eligibility issues at Auburn, which will ultimately lead to a revoking of his Heisman trophy and the entire 2010 Auburn Tigers National Championship season – trust me, it’s Reggie Bush 2.0,  and you have the dark clouds looming overheard causing detractors to scream “character issues” when Carolina selected Newton first in 2011. While the issues remained minimal in his rookie campaign, we are now seeing Cameron Newton fully exposed in 2012. He is moody, throws blame everywhere, celebrates his own accomplishments regardless of how bad the team is playing (Superman celebration while down 20+ to New York, anyone?), and appears to be a self-absorbed tool in need of people pandering to him. Carolina management has fired General Manager Marty Hurney this week. How many more heads will roll before Cam Newton’s attitude changes or management realizes that cam is the issue? Only time will tell. One thing is for certain though: Carolina has not hit rock bottom yet if we are truly seeing the “real” Cameron Newton.

Who’s Hot: The Houston Texans are an AFC-best 6-1 after crushing Baltimore 43-13… The Indianapolis Colts are 3-3 on the season; 2-1 since Head Coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia… The New York Giants are the best team in the NFC, even with a 5-2 record, after dismantling SF and surviving a game Washington in back-to-back weeks… Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson continues to thrive in his comeback from ACL surgery with a 153-yard day against Arizona… Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning’s numbers in the second half of games are things of legend, as seen in the 24-point comeback on Monday night when Denver defeated San Diego 35-24.

Who’s Not: Up 24 on Denver, the San Diego Chargers crumbled in the second half for the second week in a row… Despite helping get the Jets to overtime against the New England Patriots, Jets QB Mark Sanchez introduced Jet fans to the game clinching fumble in the pats 26-23 OT victory… After starting 4-0, the Arizona Cardinals are now 4-3… Despite losing linebacker Ray Lewis and cornerback Lardarius Webb for the season, the Baltimore Ravens shouldn’t have lost so badly to Houston if they are a legit contender.