After nearly 3 years in inconsistent situations, Cam Newton is finally returning back to his original home in Carolina. This afternoon, Cam Newton and Carolina agreed to terms on a 1-year deal worth a total of 10 million dollars and 4.5 million of which is fully guaranteed. With the season at the halfway mark, teams are looking to make moves for the last stretch for the playoffs and Cam Newton is a major part of this push. 

It is undeniable that Cam Newton is the greatest Carolina Panther ever. In his 9 years with the relatively young franchise, he received three pro bowl selections, one league MVP, and a Super Bowl appearance. Although Cam and the Panthers saw success in those 9 seasons, they did not feel as though Cam was the future for the organization. Following the 2019 season, Coach Ron Rivera was fired, and soon came a new coach in Matt Rhule, who made it clear that Cam Newton was not in his future plans. Shortly after Rhule was hired, the Carolina Panthers released Cam Newton and after 9 years, Newton would be in search of a new home. 

The underlying story here is that Cam Newton was never released because of his ability. In fact, Cam Newton’s last fully healthy year was in 2018 as he led the team to an 11-5 season and a wild card spot. Unfortunately, the Panthers would lose in the wild card round, which would be Newton’s final playoff game for the team. Newton never played himself out of Carolina, but rather a case of injuries and “what have you done lately” forced the team to find another answer.

In his one season with the New England Patriots, he did what he did best, score points any way necessary. In 2020, Newton scored 12 times on the ground and 8 touchdowns through the air. While it wasn’t his best season, in a year where the Patriots literally had no identity, Cam Newton did what he could with what he had on the roster. 

Years later, the Carolina Panthers are bringing Cam Newton back in an effort to replace an injured Sam Darnold. Darnold is expected to be out nearly 6 weeks, which will see him come back closer toward the playoffs. With Head Coach Matt Rhule being the same coach involved in releasing Newton the first time, it will be interesting to see things play out. 

Carolina currently has the worst overall record in the NFC south and struggling to get back to .500, however, they are top in the divisional standings with 2 out of their 4 wins coming against divisional opponents. With 4 more divisional games to play, Carolina has a giant task to incorporate a hungry and motivated Cam Newton into the mix. If the team can create a spark with Newton, the Panthers may just find a way to become relevant in the playoff hunt. 

Writer

-By: LeMarkus Bailey

Last week, the Dallas Cowboys made a statement on Monday Night Football against Philadelphia, beating them in an embarrassing fashion. This week, while the score looked closely, the Cowboys had a convincing win over the Carolina Panthers by a score of 36-28. Let us dive into the Cowboys winning formula on offense, while a star continues to from on defense for Dallas.

Game Details

While the score was 36-28, it was a lot more convincing than that. Through three quarters in change, the Cowboys were up 36-14 before two garbage-time touchdowns were scored by the Panthers. In the win, QB Dak Prescott was efficient and effective, going 14/22 with 188 yards and four touchdowns. For the second straight game, Prescott had a Passer Rating above 130.3. The ground game was good yet again, led by HB Ezekiel Elliott. Zeke had 20 carries for 143 yards and a touchdown in the victory. In the air, Amari Cooper, Dalton Schultz, Cedrick Wilson, and Blake Jarwin scored touchdowns, with Cooper leading the way with 69 yards. Defensively, Dallas sacked QB Sam Darnold five times, including two from DE Randy Gregory. Rookie Micah Parsons had another sack, bringing his total up to 2.5 for the season, which leads the team. CB Trevon Diggs also had two interceptions in the victory.

On the short end of the game, Sam Darnold went 26/39 with four total touchdowns and two interceptions. With HB Christian McCaffrey out due to a hamstring injury, rookie HB Chuba Hubbard led the way with 13 carries for 57 yards, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. WR D.J. Moore considered his strong start, catching eight balls for 113 yards and two touchdowns. In a struggling defensive effort, the Panthers did not force a turnover and did not record a sack in the game. Despite this, Carolina still ranks top ten in all points allowed, total yards allowed, passing yards allowed, rushing yards allowed for the season.

Running Equals Success

Even though the Cowboys have a high-powered offense on their receiving core, they are at their best when they are running the ball early and often. In this game, Dallas rushed for a whopping 245 yards with Elliott leading the way with 143, which included a 47-yarder in the second half. This is the third straight game they have more total rushes than passes and they are 3-0 in those games. Prescott has proven to win the game with his arm, but the less he throws, the more dangerous this offense is because his job will be that much easier. On the season Elliott ranks 342 rushing yards (4th) while averaging 5.3 YPA (8th).  His back mate Tony Pollard has 250 yards (13th) and trails only QB Daniel Jones for the highest YPA at 6.8. In total, the Cowboys have averaged 165.8 yards per game on the ground as well, which is second in the league (Cleveland). The Cowboys have a formula for success and their offense is almost impossible to stop when they can run the ball as they have been.

Diggs Continues Hot Start

Last year, the Cowboys selected CB Trevon Diggs, brother of Stefon, in the second round of the NFL Draft. While he had a successful rookie season, it often got lost because of how poorly the Cowboys defense played. In year two, Diggs has taken a huge step forward and has been one of the best corners in football through the first quarter of the season. In four games, Diggs already has a league-leading five interceptions, including a pick-six, and eight passes defensed, which also leads the league. He also has not given up a touchdown this season when targeted this season. He has been the lockdown corner the Cowboys desperately needed and has given a huge boost to the secondary. If Diggs can keep this up, the Cowboys defense is in good shape.

Darnold Continues Success

Despite the loss, QB Sam Darnold had himself a solid game. While it was his worst game of the season based on passer rating, Darnold still played very well. The Panthers QB went 26/39 with 301 yards and four total touchdowns (two rushing), while also throwing two interceptions. With the two rushing touchdowns, Darnold now leads the league with five of them. Darnold has posted a stat line of 67.8% CMP, 1,189 yards, 10 total touchdowns, 3 INT, 95.4 RTG through four games. Based on where he was last season, this is a massive step forward for the young quarterback. Carolina should be fine as long as they get McCaffrey back healthy and Darnold continues to play at a high level.

Looking Ahead

Heading into Week 5, the Panthers will look to get back on track at home against the Philadelphia Eagles (1-3), who have lost three straight games since Week 1. As for the Cowboys, they will go to battle with their division foe, the New York Giants (1-3) who are coming off their first win of the season. Dallas will be the home team in this divisional matchup.

Info from profootballreference.com

Schedule from nfl.com

-By: Richie Dordas

First Things First

The NFC South is one of the most competitive divisions in this year's divisional gauntlet. The Carolina Panthers look to be a team who can compete for the top spot in the league this year and it comes with many new faces in the fold. Luckily, their week one matchup comes against another team that not only has a young quarterback but an almost brand new roster.

 Newly acquired QB Sam Darnold is young, talented, and still unproven. His greatest asset after his arm is his youth. Despite being in his fourth year, Darnold is still seen as a very young Quarterback trying his best to make a name for himself. Everyone knows that Darnold is talented, but we have not yet seen him take the next step to living up to the hype. 

His 2020 season in New York did not look good. In 12 starts, Darnold threw 9 touchdowns and threw 11 interceptions to go with it. His completion percentage and quarterback ratings were less than stellar. Although it is understood that the New York Jets have not been a good team for some time now, being considered a franchise quarterback is the expectation for Darnold and his performance against his former team may answer some questions for fans. 

The New York Jets rookie Quarterback Zach Wilson is also young so there is not much expectation for him in his first game, however, critics will be waiting to see if he can perform better than Sam Darnold in his rookie year. 

X-Factors 

Dynamic playmaker and bell-cow back Christian McCaffrey is finally back in action as he missed nearly the entire 2020 season with a shoulder, ankle, and quad injury. McCaffrey makes the entire Panthers organization go when he is healthy. Prior to the unlucky 2020 season, McCaffrey had back-to-back seasons with 1,000 rushing yards and 100 receptions. This type of production is at the top of the league for running backs and the only back that comes close to this type of production in multiple facets is Saints ball carrier, Alvin Kamara. 

The ability to give different looks on offense will be the Panthers biggest advantage on offense, but the real strength of the Panthers is on the defensive side of the ball. The Panthers defense is one of the youngest and most talented groups in the league. First-round Cornerback Jaycee Horn and veteran cornerback Donte Jackson are stellar corners that command respect. Despite Horn being in his first year, he is expected to be one of the most dominant corners in the league and after a standout camp, he can surely shut down an entire side of the field. 

Safety Jeremy Chinn and OLB Shaq Thompson are a superior duo in the back end. The two defenders are fast, physical and get sideline to sideline. Here you can see how elite their ball tracking ability is in the run and how much ground they cover. Zach Wilson and the offense will have difficulty trying to move the ball without spreading the field and without Jamison Crowder due to injury, the Jets will have to find another answer offensively. Potentially with receiver Corey Davis and Rookie Elijah Moore.

Prediction

With the Panthers defense having the edge over a young Jets offense and Christian McCaffrey returning to action, the Jets will have their hands full this week. The Panthers are the more experienced team with a much more complete roster. In this non-divisional contest, I predict that the Panthers will come out on top in a decisive contest. The Jets will surely make some exciting plays with talented rookie QB Zach Wilson, but the lack of experience will be the downfall. 

Carolina Panthers Win, 28-14

Writer

-By: LeMarkus Bailey