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.