The Panthers may have lost to the Arizona Cardinals, but don’t blame Cam Newton. After completing just over 40% of his passes in the preseason, no one even expected for Newton to start; let alone shine. Newton put on a show in Arizona.
Cam Newton NFL Debut
What an opening day performance for a QB under so much criticism. At Auburn Cam used mostly the spread offense. That means he had a run first, pass second mentality. He was good at both at Auburn, but it was his running that got most of the attention.
In Cam Newton’s last college season he ran for 20 touchdowns and 1,473 yards. On the other hand, he completed 66% of his passes for 30 TD and just 7 INT. Coming into the NFL he was not touted for his passing abilities, most thought he was successful because of his legs. He was named a starter in the NFL as the no.1 pick in the NFL Draft anyways.
And what did Cam Newton do in his NFL Debut? HE broke a rookie record that’s what. In 1950, Browns rookie QB, and Hall of Famer Otto Graham, passed for a record 346 yards. On Sunday, September 11, 2011, Newton surpassed that. Newton passed for 422 yards and completed 64.9% of his passes, and even ran for a score.
After a subpar preseason no one could have predicted what Newton would do in his first real start. Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith caught both of Newton’s first career touchdowns. Smith finished the day with 8 receptions for 178 yards and 2 scores. If this type of performance continues throughout 2011, expect Cam Newton to win the NFL Rookie of the Year; no doubt.
Sources: nfl.com,usatoday.com