Cam Newton has as many doubters today as he did when he first came into the league back in 2011, said Cat Crave’s Brandon Scott as he counted down Newton’s five best games with the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, Kyle Allen has enjoyed a 5-1 record in his absence. Fans are making cases for both quarterbacks but the conversation continues. Is it Allen or Newton?
Kyle Allen or Cam Newton? The Conversation Continues
Newton’s Future Questionable
Newton came in in 2011 and set the league on fire with his colossal passing ability and his pure athletic running ability. His 29,041 career yards sound good in retrospect but the way he performed for his last eight games left some fans astounded while it gave other fans added fuel for their “Cam hate.” During last year’s six-game skid, Newton threw eight interceptions against nine touchdowns. He didn’t do well this year either.
Newton’s foot was reportedly not improving according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. After making the trip up to Green Bay to see Dr. Robert Anderson who tried to help him find a new regimen to rehab his foot, he found out the worst possible news. The Panthers have placed him on injured reserve for the foreseeable future, according to ESPN. This leaves many questions left for the Panthers to answer. If you look at the choices put in front of this team, especially with this lingering injury, it would seem the choice has already been made. Do they keep him for the 2020 season and pay him the $18.6 million they owe him? Or do they cut ties with a guy who hasn’t managed to stay healthy the last three seasons? It will be interesting to see what they do with Newton.
Is There a New Star in the Carolinas?
If you didn’t know much about Allen before he came into the league it’s because on both teams he played for—the Texas AM Aggies and Houston Cougars—he played with multiple people. He won the starting job over Kyler Murray at AM his freshman season and posted decent numbers. His 2,210 yards was impressive but his 17 touchdowns to seven interceptions we’re very impressive. His ability to stand tall against massive defensive players was something coaches looked for. Questioning whether Allen is the future of the Panthers doesn’t seem to be the case for a lot of the fans who watch this team.
During his stretch, Allen has now thrown nine touchdowns and four interceptions. Three interceptions didn’t come until two weeks ago when the Panthers faced the undefeated San Francisco 49ers and their tenacious defense. And the other came against the Tennesee Titans who they defeated on Sunday. A huge test for him will be how he plays against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. And since this is his team now, how will he respond to the challenge? It seems as if there’s a new star emerging in the Carolinas. Not only does he have the accuracy that coaches love to see, but he’s only 23 years old and hasn’t had any injuries so far in his career. And let’s not forget that Norv Turner is the offensive coordinator. He did good things with Newton but just imagine what he can do with Allen.
When You Get Down to It
The Newton or Allen conversation can go on and on. If Newton can get his foot rehab done and back on the field by next season, he can make a strong case for himself. The problem is he might not be able to. This leaves room for a lot of doubt in the Panther’s locker room.
One consistency in Panthers players’ lives right now though, is Allen. He had good college numbers and has made his own case here with the Panthers. This will definitely be an interesting conversation coming down the stretch. The Panthers won an easy one on Sunday, but the competition will only get harder as the season progresses.
They have this home game and the home game against the Atlanta Falcons sandwiching a tough road game against the Packers. How Allen responds will be on him. If he plays well, the Panthers could be looking at their new quarterback.
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