Rest In Peace Cam Newton’s Career
Like a lot of people I’m pretty worried Cam might be totally broken now.
The days of Super Cam are long past us but I didn’t expect him to look this off. Last year it made some sense. He hurt his shoulder and instead of sitting the rest of the season out to recover, he stayed in and tried to force things on a season that was already quickly going downhill by December. Also even-year Panthers are cursed.
I figured the Panthers would come out in this odd year and compete for the playoffs once more. Cam had a year to heal up. The Bucs are rebuilding and the Falcons are downsliding. The Saints would be good, but this was an easy wildcard situation. This team is still reasonably stacked. But for two games now Cam has just not looked all that good. Week 1 was the White Guy Runnerman show, Cam just spent most of the game feeding McCaffrey and hoping for the best. His throwing motion looks weird, and he doesn’t look accurate.
Most tellingly, he looks scared to run. The dude has spent a career using his body as a weapon and he might finally be afraid of continuing to do so. The Panthers had 4th and inches at the end of the Bucs game. That’s a gimme for old Cam. That’s an automatic success for old Cam. Even if they knew it was coming, Cam would almost always get that half-yard. But they called a wildcat play and sent McCaffrey off to the side, unblocked, to the short side of the field. Just terrible. Blame Norv Turner for the awful playcall for sure but it really the fact that McCaffrey sweeping off to the side was even on the menu there is astounding and Cam was fine with it. Old Cam would have punched it, then screamed a primal roar, and dabbed. It would have ruled. Instead the Panthers are 0-2 and look like they won’t even be saved by even-year bullshit.
I hope this isn’t the end of fun Cam. Fun Cam is one of the best shows in the league. But with his playstyle this sort of dramatic plummet did feel inevitable. Get healthy, Cam.
Poor panthers. With Cam’s play being off the bulk of the work will have to go to CMC who won’t have much help if his quarterback isn’t playing all that good. I’m rooting for Cam to regain his step in the coming weeks or else Carolina’s in for a long season
This season has been the death of everything fun. All that’s left are the Patriots dominance.
Mahomes
You all need to leave Cam alone and have faith in him He will bounce back. He has heart and needs our support.
Rip Cam I feel like a lot of people threw shade at him but he was always a solid player and fun guy to watch.
Is it sad that I can just assume the Chargers will always blow the lead when on a game winning drive.
Cam’s decorated tombstone in the last panel is weirdly adorable. Almost huggably cute.
That said, I knew this would eventually be coming, even given the phenomenal physical specimen Cam is he can’t possibly sustain the kind of punishment he takes for the length of an average groomed-from-a-rookie franchise QB’s career. But that doesn’t make the feeling any less hollow, he was supremely fun to watch when he did his stuff on the field. That last play at 4th-and-inches, giving up on running himself and instead trying to use McCaffrey to get through was especially shocking; as Dave said, that would’ve been a gimme situation for prime Cam.
Get well, Cam, I really hope this is just a temporary setback. You know the drill, man, you gotta get your team into the playoffs this year after imploding the latter half of last season.
This wasn’t the Cam Newton comic I was expecting.
Shouldn’t his grandmother be visiting his grave… wearing her little jacket, bent over a cane, mayyyyyybe with a little kerchief wrapped around her head to keep the cold out? X’D
“Instead the Panthers are 0-2 and look like they won’t even be saved by even-year bullshit.”
You’re thinking of the SF Giants, Panthers are odd-year bullshit.
As a Saints fan, I am both incredibly sad that Cam is not himself but also somewhat relieved. Please don’t take that wrong. Cam is an incredible talent. IS not was. I believe that right now his problem might be system and confidence. He needs his superman swagger back. Watching him play against my Saints was always a nightmare matchup. I do sincerely hope he gets himself back together and that whatever is going on will make him better both as a player and person in the long run.
Now that being said……let me tell you a story about how I killed the Saints season….again. I have a suit that I like to wear to church on Sundays to support the Saints. I wear it when I feel like it’s a big game. Black suit, gold shirt, bright white tie.
The nightmare of this suit began on January 14, 2018. The Saints had a victory seemingly assured, a spot in NFC championship game all but guaranteed. Until they didn’t. A last second “miracle” TD propelled the Vikings onward to become victims to the legend of Nick Foles. I was gutted. But that’s football. Sometimes, you just forget something basic like the fundamentals of how to tackle. No big deal.
Fast forward to September 9th, 2019. The kickoff to a new season. I’m ready to put the pain behind me and I’m looking for to a season full of hope and promise. I put on my Saints themed suit, went to church with the most optimistic of attitudes and we were beaten soundly by the Ryan Fitzpatrick-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Our defense was horrible. I almost blamed myself for wearing that dumb suit. Maybe it was cursed….
January 20th, 2019. NFC Championship Game in New Orleans. I was at peak optimism. We were playing the Rams and had already beaten them this season. It would be a tough game, but surely we’ve got this. I put on my Saints themed suit…….the refs did their thing. Payton did his thing (questionable play calling). We mostly blew it (we had help, you can’t take that away from us). It’s that cursed suit!!!!!
I swore never again. I promised myself I wouldn’t do it. Season opener came and went and yes, I was slightly bitter, but I can cope. The refs gonna ref and the Saints gonna Aint. Week 2, and we’ve got the Rams and I’m feeling vengeful. So I put on the stupid friggin suit. Then Drew Brees gets hurt. We lose. Brees is out for six weeks. And I killed our season because of a cursed suit that I was tempted to burn with me still in it. So, it’s my fault. Blame me. That suit is Sean Payton’s monkey paw, riding shotgun in the Gus Bus with Ben McAdon’t driving right through the middle of Hue Jackson’s version of the Factory of Sadness.
A sad tale, indeed.
That’s the thing about the Saints. When the Saints break your heart they make sure they give you a little hope first. I wager we win 2 of the next 6 games (puting us at 3-5) before Brees comes back to rally is to 7-6. Falcons beat us killing our shot at a playoff birth because that’s how it’s going to happen. I suppose that beats my original prediction for the season: soul crushing defeat in the Superbowl in someway never heard of before.
That’s exactly what I told my wife Saturday. The last two years, we’ve lost heartbreaking playoff games but each year we’ve advanced one game further. So, I figured we must be SB bound, destined to lose in the most heartbreaking way possible somehow. But HA! Can’t lose heartbreaking playoff games in you don’t make it. Of course, this is all entirely premature. We may play really well. It hurts to lose Brees. But I like Hill, something about him seems like he could be a white Cam Newton maybe. I like Teddy too but I haven’t seen enough to be convinced he can be the QB this team needs to win consistently.
Also, fair assessment on this season. Sounds about right. Though I’m holding out hope for a season sweep of the Falcons because that’s what I hope for every year with them.
I think Teddy will be a good QB somewhere, but until Sean Payton modernizes the offense, the Saints are going to need their future HoF QB to stick around. I personally believe the offense is too difficult.
Brees calls the offensive line protection so the O-line doesn’t have to read the defense, now a rookie Center is doing it. The O-line isn’t as talented as its made out to be, Brees is really elusive in the pocket. Most offenses run shotgun these days to make it easy for the QB to read the defense, the Saints line up under center almost 50% of their plays. The receiving corps doesn’t really create much separation, Brees is just accurate enough to make it work (ESPNs ball tracking stats confirms this). Sean Payton’s play calling has been ok for the past 5 years (I know when we are about to call a screen, a run or a pass about 50% of the time and I don’t coach football), Brees constantly checks the play at the line and gets everyone where they need to be. The reason the Saints suck on the road has little to do with Brees arm strength, but everything to do with how much he can communicate to the offense at the line. Likewise, I think Teddy would be good, he’s a good decision maker and he’s accurate. Put him on the Rams, and maybe hes not as good as Goff, but I’d bet he’d be 95% of Goff.
I think you’re absolutely spot on. That’s my biggest knock on Teddy and it’s not really a “knock” against him. He’s not Brees, which is an extreme rarity. And our offense isn’t built to his strengths. The offense lives on Drew, even with the decline of his arm strength, which to me has been noticeable but they’ve covered it up well enough. That O-line will dictate how well Teddy can do. In his limited time, they have done him no favors and that’s just what you said, Drew was setting everything up at the line.
Should we be drawing parallels to Luck yet or giving Cam the benefit of the doubt? It is only week two, after all.
Just a heads up. Roethlisberger is out for the season. Sounds like Tommy John surgery. At his age that has to be the end, right?
Good riddance
I know this hurts your feelings but this run and gun crap doesn’t work in the NFL, college ball in inferior to the NFL, and Tom Brady isn’t the GOAT because he sold his soul to the devil or “cheated”.
Get in the pocket, stay there, throw the ball. Only exception to the rule is Wilson. While he’s a joke on here, he’s everything Cam pretends to be.
Cam was done years ago, sorry you just got the memo.
Do you actually watch football?
“This run and gun crap doesn’t work in the NFL”
Did you somehow miss the entire season when Cam won MVP, lead his team to a 15-1 record, and almost won a super bowl doing exactly what you say doesn’t work? Or the other times he made the playoffs doing that style of play? Does it only not work because he didn’t win the Super Bowl? Lots of pure pocket passers have never won the Super Bowl, or even gotten close enough to lose one. Talent transcends style of play. Brady isn’t the GOAT just because he stays in the pocket.
This shit absolutely does work in the NFL, bud.
Lol Tom Brady is considered the GOAT because Belicheck is head and shoulders above the league in front office and coaching. Belicheck would win Superbowls with Cam or any other run and gun QB he wanted to if that’s who he had at QB. Not that Brady hasn’t been fantastic but any any universe we know Payton Manning could win Superbowls with Belicheck (he almost won one with Jim Caldwell let that sink in), but I don’t think any ones is sure Tom Brady could win Superbowls with those Colts teams Manning played for.
Thing is even if we go ahead and just go with his opinion that Brady is the GOAT, which is a perfectly acceptable opinion honestly, it still means absolutely nothing to his argument. Brady being good in the pocket doesn’t somehow mean Cam Newton’s playstyle doesn’t work. It’s a ridiculous non-comparison and I’m pretty sure he only made it because I’ve hurt his sensitive Pats fan feelings by making fun of his precious QB who kisses his own son on the lips.
I would actually argue that IF Brady is the GOAT, it is because he’s smart enough to stay in the pocket and throw because no one is scared of a wounded gazelle running the ball down the field. And if you’ve seen Brady run, you know the wounded gazelle is way more terrifying than he is.
Lol i read that as Giselle the first time around! I thought, “interesting play on words”.
LOLOL truth be told she would be more intimidating running than he would probably
So you’re point is if it works one season everyone should do it? Or that qbs should be one and done on the season. Did you WATCH Cam play? That superbowl had him hurt and slowed early. He had one of a kind endurance, and it didn’t work. It won’t work for anyone else. Oh, you’re pretending the NFC was good that year, is that it. I live in SC so I have to watch the stupid games, be thankful you don’t. Wilson is the only one that comes close and he won’t take the hits (smartly). Stay in the pocket, stay protected, endure.
You’ve always been bizarrely dense when it came to Brady, I assumed you were just being funny. You watch a lot of bad football and relish in it so maybe you’re looking for something different than me. Me? Survived the 90s patriots seasons. I don’t long for the days.
Brady GOAT isn’t an opinion, it’s cement now.
You are the Tom Brady of missing the point.
I was not saying everyone should do it. I was directly refuting your claim that it you feel this “run and gun crap” doesn’t work in the NFL by pointing out one example where that was obviously wrong. If the QB’s skillset is fit for that style of offense, then a team would be wise to build around it. You already acknowledge Wilson works, so why on earth do you feel that this style can’t work? Cam showed it can work. Wilson showed it can work. Kaepernick showed it can work and actually got worse when they made him into a pocket passer. Rodgers runs around a ton and it is part of what makes him effective. Same with Luck. Same with Fran fucking Tarkenton. Even Big Ben, who doesn’t run, has made a career out of shrugging people off to extend plays.
I feel like you are using Tom Brady as a basis of comparison against other QBs, which is unfair. Tom Brady is the outlier in terms of success and is a terrible basis for comparison. But Cam has reached the same number of Super Bowls as future HoF players Rodgers & Brees. If you can build your team around a QB’s skills well enough to compete for a championship, then…it works. That’s my point. It works. You don’t have to like it, but it has proven to be an effective option for an offensive system. The main drawback it has is longevity due to the QB being more at risk for punishment.
Not sure what the purpose of shitting on the NFC is, the NFC was fine in 2015. The top NFC teams were just as good as the top AFC teams. The AFC is the shit conference, for 20 years it’s basically been the same 5 teams competing for a championship with everyone else sucking. The NFC is way more balanced and success seems more about which teams stay healthy that year.
Brady being the GOAT is an opinion, no matter how many people share it. At this point I’ll even concede he’s the GOAT, mostly due to his longevity. I don’t put stock in rings as anything but a team accomplishment, but I can’t argue that 6 isn’t fucking impressive and nobody is ever going to touch that, and he’s set up to win another one this year.
The biggest challenge with the AFC is only a few middle tier teams. You are either competing or dysfunctional. Even the Broncos stopped being competitive after Manning left. Hopefully the Chiefs (and hopefully Bills and Texans) change that.
The NFC has only a few dysfunctional franchises (poor Cards and Bucs), and almost every team has been competitive at some point this decade.
Interesting sidebar – the Saints backup debate has brought an interesting wrinkle in the whole running QB debate. There’s been a toxic debate raging on Saints forums on which QB should start, and it appears there is a massive element of racial bias. Except now the player the (online) white fans want to start is a white running QB who isn’t that great at throwing and the player the (online) black fans want to start is a accurate pocket passer who makes good decisions. The irony is next level. For the record, both backups are going to be really bad until Sean Payton’s offense is more modern like the Rams or Eagles, but I prefer Bridgewater and think he’s going to be a great starter somewhere else next year.
The first one sounds like Tebow.
I will admit that two of the 5 worst seasons we ever had were in the 90’s, but suffered? There are teams that wished they could have a decade like that (Browns =/ ?).
Brady isn’t the GOAT because he stays in the pocket. He is our lord and savior because he is willing to do anything and everything for the team (That and TB 12). He is Bill’s only begotten son, and it was through him we were saved.
Also, why you gotta bring Him into this garbage take? Bledsoe was no Cam Newton, and they both played in the same amount of SBs, enjoying about the same amount success. Run n’ Gun isn’t the problem.
Method. TB12 method.
Way to ruin it.
As a Patriots fan, please shut up
“i know this hurts your feelings”
stopped reading
Injured Reserve just got some Really Big names.
I would make a joke about avoiding the bathroom at the Injured Reserve bar now that Big Ben is there, but AB has made that impossible.
10/10 would lol again
Daniel Jones time this week. I cannot watch Eli Manning play football anymore
But Eli sits at a 116-116 regular-season win/loss record.
We need one more start to figger if he’s a winning or losing quarterback….
Looks like you won’t have to… the end of an era. Thanks for the memories, Eli. =’)
Unlike few years ago, I actually did not have that much of a problem this time. My only issue is I’m not sure if Daniel Jones is ready yet. Just hope he performs well enough to get us get over Gettleman for not choosing Haskins.
Would be super funny if you made a comic about nature deciding to suspend tyreek
LOL this
First time in my Life ..Jumping ship. Last season was the Panthers Coach Ron’s fault the last 4 games playing Cam hurt..I’m not going through it this season..I’m Rolling with PRESCOTT & DA BOYZ
Look man, I can respect deciding to follow a different team for a season if your own is bad. What I cannot respect is choosing to bandwagon the Cowboys.
Have some self respect
Hey, any team willing to pay millions to get Witten out of the booth is OK by me!
My mom is from the Dallas area and was a Cowboys fan before starting a family and moving to Denver, and I’m STILL looking at the Ravens as my team to root for come playoff time.
Antonio Brown is farting in people’s faces. That is more “TheDrawPlay”, than The Draw Play itself. The universe has collapsed on itself.
You are personally responsible for putting “Antonio Brown Fart” in my search history, but the knowledge that the fart isn’t related to the lawsuit and the doctor just brought it up because Brown is an asshole and deserves to have that be public knowledge makes it a little better.
This is fantastic. Apparently he smiled and thought it was funny while he did it. AB could have a whole TDP week full of horrible hijinks and we’d still have an offseason full of stuff to cover at this point.
Fuck Dave Gettleman for putting us in this position. Mr. Hog Molly never brought in a single worth while lineman, never ponied up for trying to protect his most valuable asset. Now Marty Hurney is doing the same with defensive linemen, and we’ll lose Kuechly as well. WHY DO WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THESE SHITTY HANGERS ON