Lea: Cam shines as a starter despite Panthers loss to WFT
Posted November 21, 2021 4:25 p.m. EST
Updated November 21, 2021 9:44 p.m. EST
Charlotte, N.C. — Walking into Bank of America Stadium today, you saw the difference. Besides the New England Patriots game, I was assigned to come to Charlotte to cover every Carolina Panthers regular season home game and one preseason game this season. None of them had the same electricity and feel of this game.
Before the Jets game, I saw loads of Jets fans. Same for the Saints game, Eagles and Vikings games. Those fanbases notoriously took over Bank of America Stadium to cheer for their teams.
Panthers fans: quiet.
Today was different. Plenty of fans dusted off their old Cam Newton jerseys and showed up early with and in numbers. Different.
Cam did not disappoint on the first drive of the game, leading the Panthers on a nine play 75 yard drive which ended in a DJ Moore touchdown.
Bank of America Stadium has been fairly quiet most of this season, but QB1 erupted the crowd after he ran for a 24 yard touchdown, following it up by spiking the ball at midfield on the Panthers logo and doing his Super Man pose.
The Panthers lost this game 27-21, but it wasn't because of quarterback play, which is the first time you could say that in their losses this season. Cam was amazing overall and showed that he is capable of running a team efficiently and capable of taking care of the ball.
One fo the key knocks on Newton was arm strength and accuracy. In the fourth quarter he connected with his old buddy Christian McCaffrey on a 27 yard touchdown pass that was right on the money with Washington defenders around him. If that didn't show he has something left in his shoulder, I'm not sure what will.
The key for Newton and the Panthers' success is to continue to put up games like this where he didn't cost the team any games. He has lost a step or two as a runner, but who would expect a 32 year old man to run the same way he did when he was 22 before hundreds of hits.
Newton will be fine, but this game does expose the other weaknesses this team has that were maybe overlooked because of Sam Darnold's poor play. Penalties, play-calling, coaching and for the first time today, defense, kept the Panthers from winning. Not the quarterback. The Panthers have other things to fix.
