The Carolina Panthers defeated the Houston Texans in their second consecutive game without their franchise quarterback, Cam Newton. Newton is out for an undisclosed amount of time to nurse a foot injury he re-aggravated from the preseason.
However, in his recent blog post via YouTube, Newton revealed he hid the extent of his injury to avoid playing the sidelines. While the Panthers had the league's 2015 NFL MVP on the field, he wasn't himself.
So far, the Panthers have survived without Newton, winners in his two-game absence. However, the sample size to determine if he should be benched in favor of Kyle Allen isn't big enough. Allen, the current starting quarterback, started off strong in his win against the Arizona Cardinals, throwing for four touchdowns in a 38-20 win. However, in a 16-10 win versus the Texans this past Sunday, he threw for zero touchdowns, but contributed to three lost fumbles. To replace someone like Newton, Allen has to prove he is off the charts.
But maybe he doesn't have to be extraordinary. The Panthers have promising and proven talent on both sides of the ball that can do damage. If the goal for head coach Ron Rivera is simply to win football games and to put together a team that will always compete, then that will take the pressure off of Allen to not bite off more than he can chew. But, if his intentions are the Super Bowl, then Allen isn't quite ready for that.
Simply put, a healthy Newton could insert the Panthers into the Super Bowl contenders conversation. It's just that we haven't seen a healthy Newton in some time. Before his shoulder injury last season, the Panthers were 6-2 and looked to be prime contenders to represent the NFC in February. But six straight losses prompted the Panthers to shut him down so he could recover. His two losses to start the season in 2019 didn't do him any favors.
So when healthy, Riverboat Ron should always give Newton a chance. Although his mechanics began to show erosion in 2017, he still took the Panthers to a playoff bid. Newton's physical gifts are some of the few that are unmatched in the NFL currently, as his size (6-foot-5, 245) speed, running ability, and throwing power make him the ultimate dual-threat quarterback.
But the Panthers don't fly high when Newton is only a shell of himself. To be frank, it's hard for any athlete of prodigious talent to do so. It's best that Newton is allowing his body to heal and recover.
After the NFL world watched as Andrew Luck retired due to injuries, fans turned their attention to Newton as if he was next. Evidently, Newton has clearly received the memo on self-care.
Hopefully, the Panthers take as much time as possible to get Newton ready to play. They should also put the onus on the defense and let them dictate the outcomes of games. Allen's job is simply not to mess things up. If he balls out, so be it. Because a healthy Newton gives any team a chance.
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