Stop Saying "Bench Cam Newton"

Sure, this season has been disappointing so far for our Carolina Panthers. After a promising 2-0 start, Carolina has lost their past two games to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens by a combined score of 75-29.

But the fact that there are so many people saying that the team should bench Cam Newton is even more disappointing than these last two games.

Here's the thing: these losses are not on Cam, no matter what you've heard. Here are his stats from the past two weeks: 38/60, 447 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 5 sacks.

The most telling stats? ZERO interceptions. FIVE sacks. None of which are his fault.

The offensive line has been the worst part of this team. That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. So why is Cam getting the blame for being unprotected? Why are so many people clamoring to bench him when he's literally getting hurt trying to carry this team?

If anything, Cam Newton has been the most consistent player for the Carolina Panthers so far this season.

Cam is getting no help from anyone. The running game has suffered because of poor play from the offensive line and because of injuries. DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert, and Fozzy Whittaker are all hurting right now, leaving the load to Darrin Reaves and Tauren Poole. The offensive line can't stop a nosebleed. The defense is sloppy, uncharacteristic, undisciplined. They can't tackle anyone. The front seven can't get any pressure on opposing QBs or stuff the runners at the line. The secondary is getting exposed. They can't cover any receiver to save their lives.

If you think that Cam is the problem for this team, you are wrong. It's as simple as that. You're wrong.

Offensive coordinator Mike Shula can't play to this offense's strengths. He calls way too many run plays at the worst times. For example: the Panthers had the ball near midfield on a 3rd and 7 early in the Baltimore game. Instead of throwing, Shula calls a draw play up the middle that goes for four yards. Fourth down.

Now, I'm not saying that Cam is the alpha and omega of this team. I'm not saying he is past criticism.

What I am saying is this: STOP saying that the team should bench Cam Newton.

Look at it this way. If Carolina was to bench Cam, that means 31-year old Derek Anderson would start. And if you think Anderson is a better quarterback than Cam, you may not know football.

Anderson is a quality back up. When Cam was out, we needed Anderson to step up, and he did. If we're thinking long-term, Anderson is not a better option than Cam.

Sure, Cam is hurting. That's obvious. Every time he takes a hit, you can see him grimacing in pain. He walks slow. Do you really think that's his fault? As I said before, the offensive line can't stop a nosebleed at this point. The fact Cam stays in the game and continues to be consistent is a testament to both his mental and physical strength.

It seems that whenever a football team is failing, everybody wants to blame two people: the head coach and the quarterback. Regardless of whether or not it's their fault, the cries you hear to replace these two positions are loud and clear.

They shouldn't be.

Look, I get it. You're tired of losing. You're tired of being disappointed. Trust me, as a lifelong Panthers fan, I get it. Historically, this team tends to be a big heartbreaker.

Just stay patient, Panther nation. Cam is our guy. Remember that. He is our guy.

Keep pounding.

Cam Newton's Return Powers Panthers to Win

Cam Newton missed the first game of his NFL career last week. Many thought he'd be rusty. Many thought his lingering rib injury would keep him from playing well.

He proved them all wrong.

Newton completed 22 of his 34 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown despite being sacked five times and led the Carolina Panthers to a decisive 24-7 win over the Detroit Lions.

It's the first time since 2008 that the Panthers have started a season 2-0. That year, they finished with a record of 12-4 and won the NFC South.

The Panthers also showed why they should be in the discussion for best defense in the NFL, as they sacked Lions QB Matthew Stafford four times and had one interception. They also forced three fumbles and recovered two of them.

The defense was without defensive end Greg Hardy, who was deactivated a few hours prior to kickoff. Earlier this year, Hardy was found guilty of assaulting and threatening his ex-girlfriend. He is appealing the decision, but in the wake of the Ray Rice scandal, outside pressure to deactivate Hardy finally got to head coach Ron Rivera, who claimed it was his decision and that it was in the best interest of the team.

Mario Addison, Wes Horton, and rookie Kony Ealy each took Hardy's place, rotating throughout the downs. Although neither Horton nor Ealy really stood out, they helped stuff Detroit's run game and helped get pressure on Stafford. Meanwhile, Addison quietly added 2.5 sacks to the stat sheet.

Last week, it was the big story that Cam Newton would not play. Backup QB Derek Anderson did a great job in his place. This week, it was that Greg Hardy would not play. The backups in his place did a great job. The Panthers have proven that they have good depth on this team, something that will surely help them in their quest to put together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history.

Carolina's secondary, arguably the most questionable position, played extremely well, as they held Calvin Johnson to only six receptions for 83 yards and no touchdowns. Along with Melvin White's interception, cornerback Antoine Cason helped the team out in a big way with 10 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

Rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who had a solid game last week, struggled as he had three drops and only two catches for 46 yards. He did, however, pull down an impressive one-handed catch along the sideline. Tight end Greg Olsen once again led receivers with six receptions for 72 yards. Jason Avant caught the sole Cam Newton touchdown.

With running back DeAngelo Williams out with a thigh injury, the running game was in Jonathan Stewart's hands, as both Mike Tolbert and Fozzy Whittaker suffered injuries and did not return to the game. Stewart ran the ball 15 times for only 37 yards, but his two-yard touchdown was quite impressive as he barreled through a few Detroit defenders. Newton also added 19 yards on four carries.

The Lions had many missed opportunities. Kicker Nate Freese missed two field goals and Calvin Johnson dropped a catch in the endzone. That's 13 points that Detroit missed out on. Meanwhile, Panthers kicker Graham Gano had an impressive day, making three field goals, one from 53 yards out. He even recovered a fumble on a kickoff return.

The Panthers will be at home next week against the 1-1 Pittsburgh Steelers in a Sunday night showdown. The Lions, now 1-1, return home to face their NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers, who are also 1-1.

Panthers Open Season With Victory Over Bucs

The Carolina Panthers hadn't won a season opener since 2008. They were starting the season on the road against one of their NFC South rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Everyone was calling Tampa Bay a sleeper team, while saying that Carolina would fall off this season. To make matters worse, Cam Newton would be missing the first game of his career due to a lingering rib injury. Backup quarterback Derek Anderson would have to step up and deliver.

And boy, did he ever.

Anderson played a huge role in helping the Panthers win their first game of the 2014 NFL season, completing 24 of his 34 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns. He even channeled his inner Cam Newton, rushing three times for 10 yards, including a two-yard rush on 4th and 1 that led to the Panthers' first touchdown.

In what seemed like a scenario that spelled doom for Carolina, the Panthers absolutely dominated the Bucs for three and a half quarters.

Then came memories of the Panthers of old. The Panthers who couldn't win close games. The Panthers who always let victory slip through their fingers.

Up 17-0 with 7:23 to go in the game, the Panthers allowed Bucs QB Josh McCown to finally get Tampa on the board with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Chris Owusu. The play was set up by a roughing the passer penalty on safety Thomas DeCoud.

Tampa Bay quickly got the ball back and drove right down the field to score again, this time on a quick six-yard pass to Bobby Rainey.

Once again, Tampa's defense shut down Carolina's offense and got the ball back. However, Luke Kuechly came through as the hero, forcing a fumble that was recovered by rookie cornerback Bene Benwikere. 

Kuechly finished the day with nine tackles and a sack to add to the game-winning forced fumble, which led to Graham Gano's second field goal of the day to make the final score 20-14.

The Panthers held the Bucs offense in check for most of the game before the Bucs' rally, intercepting two very bad passes from McCown and sacking him three times. McCown also fumbled twice, but the Bucs recovered both fumbles.

Aside from one 54-yard rush by Jorvorskie Lane, the Panthers did not allow the Bucs to get a run game going. Not counting Lane's rush, the Panthers allowed only 48 rushing yards, 27 of which came from McCown. They held Tampa's top running back, Doug Martin, to nine yards on nine carries.

Rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin lived up to the hype that he was getting from making spectacular and clutch catches in the offseason and preseason, as he had six receptions for 92 yards and one very incredible touchdown catch with a Tampa defender draped all over him.

Tight end Greg Olsen was reliable as always, catching eight passes for 83 yards and a touchdown of his own.

The two weak points for Carolina, the offensive line and the secondary, both played very well. Safety Roman Harper and cornerback Antoine Cason each had an interception, and the offensive line gave up only one sack while getting the running lanes open for the Carolina running backs. DeAngelo Williams, who dyed his hair pink in honor of his late mother who passed away of breast cancer in May of this year, led the team with 72 rushing yards on 14 carries. The team had 113 rushing yards on 33 carries total.

The Panthers are now 1-0 and will face the Detroit Lions, who have not yet played at the time of this writing, in Carolina's home opener. The Bucs fall to 0-1 and will face the 0-1 St. Louis Rams at home.

Panthers Final Roster

The Carolina Panthers final 53 man roster is as follows:

Quarterback (3): Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb

Running Back (4): DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert, Fozzy Whittaker

Wide Receiver (5): Kelvin Benjamin, Jason Avant, Jerricho Cotchery, Brenton Bursin, Philly Brown

Tight End (4): Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, Brandon Williams, Richie Brockel

Offensive Line (11): Byron Bell, Garry Williams, David Foucault, Amini Silatolu, Trai Turner, Fernando Velasco, Andrew Norwell, Nate Chandler, Ryan Kalil, Brian Folkerts, J.J. Jansen

Defensive Tackle (4): Star Lotulelei, Kawann Short, Dwan Edwards, Colin Cole

Defensive End (5): Greg Hardy, Charles Johnson, Kony Ealy, Mario Addison, Wes Horton

Linebacker (6): Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, Chase Blackburn, A.J. Klein, Jason Williams, Ben Jacobs

Cornerback (5): Antoine Cason, Charles Godfrey, Josh Norman, Melvin White, Bene Benwikere

Safety (4): Thomas DeCoud, Roman Harper, Tre Boston, Colin Jones

Kicker (1): Graham Gano

Punter (1): Brad Nortman

Notable Cuts: CB Josh Thomas, CB James Dockery, WR Tavarres King, S Robert Lester

Panthers Close Preseason with Victory Over Steelers

The Carolina Panthers will enter the 2014 NFL regular season with a little momentum.

On Thursday, the Panthers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 10-0 to finish the preseason with a record of 2-2.

Quarterback Cam Newton and most of the other starters sat out to rest up for the impending season.

Backup quarterback Derek Anderson, who just recently became a father (congratulations Derek!), played for most of the first half and completed 8 of 14 passes for 98 yards. 

Late in the second quarter, after a snap sailed past him, Anderson attempted to scoop up the ball and missed. After falling and reaching to get the ball, a Pittsburgh defender hit Anderson in the hand with his helmet as the Steeler recovered the fumble. Anderson missed the rest of the game after injuring his hand. Luckily, x-rays came back negative and his hand is okay.

Third string QB Joe Webb came in and led the offense the rest of the game. He did a good job doing so, completing 8 of 11 passes for 116 yards, and led the Panthers to the only touchdown of the game (a 2 yard rush by Fozzy Whittaker).

Both Webb and Whittaker have performed exceptionally well this preseason. Whittaker finished the game with 23 rushes for 91 yards and a touchdown.

Due to their outstanding play, it would be shocking to see one of them not make the final 53 man roster, which the Panthers must have ready by 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin finished the game with 4 receptions for 56 yards. He more than proved himself this preseason and will without a doubt be the number one receiver come Week 1.

The Panthers' defense also played well, as they held the Steelers to only 185 yards of total offense and recorded 6 sacks.

One of the Panthers' biggest issues has been starting a season off strong. Under Ron Rivera, they've started each of the past three seasons 1-3.

They'll have to start this season out strong as they have a tough midseason stretch with games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, and Philadelphia Eagles.

This win, however, should carry some momentum into the regular season.

The Panthers open the regular season at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 7 at 4:25 p.m. ET.

Panthers Handled by Patriots

If the Carolina Panthers' performance on Friday night is any indication of how the regular season might go, fans are in for a long season.

The Panthers were handled by the New England Patriots 30-7 to fall to 1-2 in the preseason.

Carolina didn't score until there was only 1:12 left in the game. Backup quarterback Joe Webb threw a three-yard touchdown pass to backup tight end D.C. Jefferson to keep the team from being shut out.

Cam Newton played for the entire first half and for the first series in the 3rd quarter, but was unable to get anything going. He completed 8 out of 12 passes for only 88 yards and was sacked three times.

On one play, Newton took off after being unable to find a receiver. After getting 7 yards, he was tackled and appeared hurt. He missed one play, then returned to the action. It was found after the game that he had suffered a back contusion after getting x-rays on his back done. Fortunately, the x-rays came back negative and Newton will be fine.

However, the play should make the team and fans wary. The offensive line was a complete letdown in this game, giving up 3 sacks and allowing the Patriots to get pressure on the quarterbacks all night. The line was also unable to help the run game at all, as the linemen weren't able to open any gaps and got beat off the snap all game long. As a team, the Panthers ran the ball 22 times for only 63 yards.

Meanwhile, the defense was just as disappointing as the offense. The Panthers gave up 30 points one time last season, in a 31-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints. That includes preseason and postseason as well. The biggest setback for the Panthers' defense was the poor play in the secondary. Corners were getting beat and safeties weren't giving help over the top. The New England quarterbacks shredded the secondary for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns. Perhaps the biggest letdown in the secondary was Antoine Cason, who has had a great offseason and performed well in the first two preseason games. This game, however, was much different, as Cason couldn't keep up and got beat all night. A week ago, he was looking like he could be the number one cornerback. Now he looks as though he'll be fighting for his job.

As bad as this game was, there were a few bright spots. Rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin had 5 catches for 47 yards. Not big numbers, but he was consistent and has stayed consistent over the course of the preseason. He and Newton are building a rapport that will be exciting to watch in the regular season. Benjamin is looking as though he could be the number one receiver for this team.

Linebackers Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly looked great as per usual. Arguably the best linebacker duo in the NFL, these two together anchor the defense, and if they can both stay healthy, the defense should be okay. They combined for 11 tackles.

The Panthers' final preseason game is Thursday, August 28 at the Pittsburgh Steelers at 7:30.

Carolina Panthers vs. Kansas City Chiefs - Recap, Takeaways and More

In their second preseason game on Sunday night, the Carolina Panthers overcame a slow start to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 28-16.

After beginning the game with three straight 3-and-outs, running back Jonathan Stewart, who has been plagued by injuries over the last few seasons, came in and gave the offense a much needed boost, with his first rush going for 17 yards. On that drive, the Panthers went 66 yards in 4 plays, and Stewart burst through the defenders for the score to put the Panthers up 7-6.

On the next drive, Carolina's offensive success continued, and Stewart scored once again to put the Panthers up 14-6.

In the second half, the running game continued to impress, as backup running back Fozzy Whittaker ran the ball 13 times for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Backup wide receiver Brenton Bersin had a receiving touchdown in the second half from backup quarterback Derek Anderson, helping his case to make the final roster.

The offensive line and secondary both showed improvement, but there's still work to be done.

Now, let's take a look at players who impressed and players who disappointed.

PLAYERS WHO IMPRESSED:

Jonathan Stewart - Like I said earlier, Stewart has been plagued by injuries over the last few seasons, and not many thought that his return would have much of an impact on the offense. Stewart gave Panthers fans a little glimmer of hope with his performance. Although he only ran the ball 4 times for 26 yards, his first run was an impressive 17 yard run, and his 2 touchdowns helped boost the offense. If he can stay healthy, Carolina's run game could become the dominant force it once was.

Fozzy Whittaker - The backup running back greatly out-performed both Kenjon Barner and Darren Reaves, neither of which saw much action in this game (Reaves was injured and did not play). Heck, he even out-performed starting backs Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. Fozzy was an interesting pickup in the offseason and now looks as though he could make the final roster as the 3rd string running back. Once again, his stats were: 13 rushes, 71 yards, 1 TD.

Brenton Bersin - Last week, Bersin did not show up against Buffalo. He had only 1 catch for 19 yards. This week, he turned it around with 2 impressive catches, including a 16 yard TD catch from Derek Anderson. The starting receivers at this point look like they will be Kelvin Benjamin, Jason Avant, and Jerricho Cotchery. If Bersin can continue to impress, he may make the final roster as the 5th or even 4th receiver.

Byron Bell - The way that coach Ron Rivera has talked about the left tackle this offseason has made us all believe that he will get the starting job at the position. He may have just clinched that job with his solid play. In the postgame interview, Rivera said that he was not ready to declare Bell the starter, but that Bell played extremely well.

Antoine Cason - The cornerback did an excellent job in both coverage and tackling. He didn't give up any big plays and had 6 tackles, including 2 tackles for loss that were back to back. At a position that looked relatively weak to begin the preseason, Cason is looking strong and may have a case for the starting job.

Luke Kuechly - He impresses every week. Heck, he impresses every play. The 2012 Defensive Rookie of the Year and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year had 4 tackles, including a sack on Chiefs QB Alex Smith. It's scary to think that the best middle linebacker in the NFL is getting even better.

PLAYERS WHO DISAPPOINTED:

DeAngelo Williams - The starting running back couldn't get anything going to open the game, running 3 times for a total of 9 yards. Stewart very quickly took to the field in his place. Williams is nearing the end of his contract and getting older. Many say that once his contract is up, he should be cut. If he can't improve, I may join the people saying that.

Kelvin Benjamin - There were some bright spots, but Benjamin seriously disappointed me with his lack of discipline. In the final 2 minutes of the 1st half, the Panthers were in field goal range, but Benjamin let the cornerback, Chris Owens, get into his head, and Benjamin head-butted him. The boneheaded move gave the Panthers a penalty and moved them back 15 yards. Benjamin has looked pretty solid in the passing game, but he can't let defenders get into his head. He has to keep his composure. He failed to do so.

Josh Norman - The corner got pretty chippy last week, and did so again. Annoyed, coach Rivera pulled him from the game and was seen yelling at Norman, who didn't seem to care that his antics could draw penalties. Norman is by no means irreplaceable, and if he continues to make stupid moves on the field, don't be surprised to see him get replaced. Rivera is not a fan of the way he has been acting and neither am I.

We'll end this column with a few notes: defensive end Charles Johnson tweaked his hamstring during the game. His hamstring has been bothering him over the course of the offseason, so it's a little worrying. Linebacker A.J. Klein intercepted Chiefs backup QB Aaron Murray which led to a Panthers touchdown.

The Panthers are now 1-1 in the preseason. Their next game will be Friday, August 22nd at 7:30 p.m. at the New England Patriots.