[ad_1]
Getty Images
Unless the Panthers lie on the injury record, quarterback Cam Newton played Thursday night's game against the healthy Buccaneers. So, why would not they have just knocked him down for the fourth and very short game near the Tampa Bay goal zone with the game at stake?
Coach Ron Rivera is bristling with questions after the game about a foot that Newton had injured in pre-season, insisting that "the foot has nothing to do" with the decision to do not call a quarterback in a hurry.
If this is true, it is not an existing injury, but a desire to avoid the next one, which forces the Panthers to be overly cautious about Cam. For several years, they have been trying to resist the temptation to devote a significant portion of the running game to a player who appears to be, but is clearly not indestructible.
Loving of his staggering size and his ability to earn yards and score points with his feet, the Panthers had not been able to successfully and steadily reduce his run. After last year's shoulder injury and this year's foot fright, they seem intent on compelling him to keep his passport.
That's good, but even passersby sometimes sneaking into one of the "A" holes to gain quick and easy inches. Tom Brady used to do it all the time, and Newton should be able to move forward a foot or two in case of absolute necessity.
Many will still think that Cam is secretly hurt, whether it's his foot or his arm. Rivera said there was "no problem" with Cam's surgically repaired shoulder, pointing out that he had plunged the ball several times.
He still does not throw the ball accurately. And an inability to control the direction and / or speed of the ball is just as worrying as an inability to throw it deep in the ground.
In fact, it's probably better for the Panthers and Newton if Cam is really hurt. Otherwise, the only logical explanation for last night's performance is that he lost his high-level skills. If he does not get them back, 2019 could be his last year in Carolina.
[ad_2]
Source link