Kyle Allen had a painfully beautiful game against the Arizona Cardinals. He didn’t play quite as well against the Houston Texans but still managed a win. And after a 3-0 record as the starter for the Carolina Panthers, it’s clear that there are major questions about the future of Cam Newton. Still, the biggest question of them all—is Kyle Allen the future of the Carolina Panthers.
Is Kyle Allen the Future of the Carolina Panthers?
Bleacher Report posted a great article by Robert Mays on the five possible timelines of Newton. It’s apparent that fans might be seeing the end of his run and with those looming questions ascends Allen who, in his first start this season, was seemingly flawless. His stat line read 261 passing yards and four touchdowns but was that impressive enough to hand the reigns over to him?
Allen is a Consistent Pass Threat
Over his last three games as the starter, Allen has thrown for 759 yards and six touchdowns. In the game against the Texans, he didn’t throw any touchdowns but he proved that he could keep drives alive by throwing on those third downs that Newton usually struggles with. He now has three wins, and as the passer, he has been a consistent threat.
The Panthers showed girth in their game against the New Orleans Saints, no doubt about it. The defense held the Saints scoreless for three quarters (even though it was against the backup quarterback) and then Allen comes out against the Texans and throws four touchdowns in the game, making it seem a flawless effort by the young quarterback. Why wouldn’t fans want him to be their future?
Newtons’ Inconsistencies Leave Fans in Doubt
Steve Reed of the Associated Press says that Allen is ready to take on the role of starting quarterback and with Newton having a bad stretch of games, fans are relying on the second-year wonder to be the franchise’s saving grace. Through his last eight games as a starter, Newton threw nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. In his last four starts, he didn’t have one single passing touchdown (Christian McCaffrey threw the only one against the New Orleans Saints) and only managed a fumble lost. When there’s a quarterback performing that poorly, it leaves serious doubts in the minds of fans.
For now, Newton is the Panthers’ first choice at quarterback. But if he comes back after the bye in week seven and continues to struggle like he has his last eight games, the Panthers could be looking at the next “future” of their team.
King of the South
Forget about the 15-1 season Newton had back in 2015 where he won NFL’s most valuable player and went to Super Bowl 50. Don’t talk about the 4,051 yards and 21 touchdowns he passed for in his rookie season. And don’t even mention the three-straight NFC South Championships he won with the Panthers while he rode the wave of ups and downs.
None of those times matters now as Newton comes to a pivotal crossroads in his career. Will Newton be able to save his football life? Or has Allen already proved that he can be vital to this franchise? Carolina as a franchise has a decision to make as well. If Newton wants to stay relevant as the Panthers quarterback, he has to allow his foot to fully heal before he comes back to the field. Further injuring his already-ailing foot, could be catastrophic to his career.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
