The Panthers hosted the Patriots in what was billed as a statement game prior to kickoff - they came into their first Monday Night Foootball game in ages riding the wave of a 5-game winning streak also on the back of a huge win in San Francisco against the 49ers, and up against a side who knew how to get to the playoffs and the Super Bowl.
In that regard, the Panthers passed with flying colours, beating the Pats 24-20 in a game they would have lost in the past. The whole team was good from defence, offence and special teams.
Cam Newton has always been regarded as the most athletic quarterback in the NFL - the league is currently blessed with so many young, great athletes at QB, e.g. RG3, Andrew Luck, Colin Kaepernick, etc. but Newton was a pioneer, not just because he started a year before those guys.
The former Heismann Trophy winner and Auburn graduate had a shocker of a sophomore season last year but obviously learnt a lot and has become a tremendous leader of his side - RG3, there's hope.
His trademark ability to evade defenders just as a sack seemed likely and then somehow gain a first down with a few yards was evident tonight, along with his accurate passing and high productivity.
The two things that were noted about the Panthers in Newton's freshman year in 2011 was that if they were going to get Cam into the playoffs, the Panthers would need to strengthen their offense line and defence. In the two off-seasons since then, the Panthers appear to have finally addressed those issues and now should be consider Super Bowl contenders.
They might struggle to beat the hot New Orleans Saints for the lead of the NFC South but given the faltering form of the San Francisco 49ers and the inconsistency of the NFC East teams, the Panthers have a good chance of playing beyond the first week of the New Year.
And for NFL fans and those who enjoy watching Cam Newton play, that is something to be celebrated.
As for the Pats, they should bounce back from this game, even if it might cost them the number one seeding in the AFC in the end. But question marks remain about the ability of Bill Belichick's side to end their Super Bowl drought given the injuries all over the squad.
No comments:
Post a Comment