Carolina Panthers Can't Maintain Success with Cam Newton Playing Hero Ball

The NFL is a quarterback-driven league. The game's best signal-callers still need help, though.

Cam Newton is a one-man show in Carolina as the Panthers' starting quarterback. His ability to carry an offense is unlike that of any other NFL quarterback. But it is unrealistic to expect him to be the entire show for the entire season.

For Carolina to continue its early-season success and place itself into the eventual playoff conversation, more players around Newton desperately need to step up and play at a higher level.

Even Superman can rely on the Justice League if the world becomes endangered.

Unfortunately, the Panthers offense is built around Newton's abilities as a dual-threat quarterback.

"Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula calls quarterback Cam Newton a 'great equalizer' for his ability to keep drives alive with his arm and legs," ESPN.com's David Newton reported.

"Cam is a unique guy," Shula told Newton.

NFL.com's Gil Brandt pointed out exactly how reliant the Panthers are on their quarterback's natural abilities:

Since Newton became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the quarterback has run for 34 touchdowns. Over that same period, Panthers running backs DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert have combined for 35 rushing touchdowns.

The Panthers are severely lacking at nearly every level of the offense. Newton must serve as an equalizer. Otherwise, the offense doesn't stand much of a chance.

The team's skill positions are poor. Carolina's wide receiver corps, in particular, can compete to be named the league's worst position group.

Through the first two games, Ted Ginn leads the team with 95 receiving yards. Sixty-two NFL players, including six running backs, have accumulated more yards than Carolina's top target. Six different running backs have eclipsed Ginn's total.

Of course, this miserable situation is a byproduct of Kelvin Benjamin's season-ending knee injury. His absence clearly leaves the team without much of an outside threat. Thus, it comes down to scheme and personnel to improve the overall receiving corps.

Multiple-tight-end sets, for example, can provide flexibility to the offense.

Greg Olsen remains Newton's security blanket. The quarterback has already targeted his Pro Bowl tight end 17 times, but he's only caught seven of those. Olsen primarily serves as a slot receiver at this point in his career, though.

Shula has used backup tight end Ed Dickson as part of the offense on 62 percent of the team's offensive snaps this season.

Plus, Brandon Williams remains an option off the bench. The Oregon product is one of the team's most athletically gifted players, but he requires time to develop. In the absence of talent at the skill positions, it might be time to give Williams a chance to see if he can create when opportunities arise.

However, he's only been on the field for six snaps in two games.

Heavy usage of all three tight ends would allow Shula to be more creative with his alignments. Each of them can flex out wide or help to a degree as in-line options. And it'd leave an extra blocker on the field to supplement the team's problems along the offensive line.

From left guard Andrew Norwell to right tackle Mike Remmers, the Panthers' offensive line has performed relatively well to start the season, but a glaring hole remains at left tackle.

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Of the 70 offensive tackles graded by Pro Football Focus to date, Michael Oher sits 55th overall. Only three rookie left tackles and Miami Dolphins backup Jason Fox have performed worse on the blind side.

Where Oher continues to struggle the most is run blocking. The Ole Miss product is athletic, but he's not overly powerful at the point of attack. Extra blockers along the line can help him in this particular area and even chip or double in pass protection.

Extra blockers could also create more push in the running game.

Right now, Stewart leads the team with 118 rushing yards—seven more yards than Newton. The 28-year-old running back currently sits 13th overall in rushing yards.

Stewart cannot become the forgotten man in Carolina.

When the team finally turned it around last season and made its playoff push, Stewart served as the catalyst. In Carolina's final six games last season, including the Panthers' two playoff appearances, this Oregon product averaged 19.3 carries and 99 yards per game. The offense can rely on Stewart as its workhorse.

By committing to the run, defenses will start to walk a safety into the box and create more space for Carolina's receivers to operate in.

Ginn is by no means a No. 1 target in any offense, but he can take the top off any defense with his speed. Philly Brown is another deep threat. And Jerricho Cotchery is a reliable underneath option. 

The key at wide receiver is determining how much this year's second-round pick, Devin Funchess, can contribute. His development with the offense remains crucial as a large (6'4", 232 lbs) outside presence capable of drawing coverage to his side on a regular basis.

Six targets, two catches and 64 total snaps through two games aren't enough to work him into the offense.

Funchess, like the team's tight ends, can be used in multiple packages as an outside or slot receiver and a flex tight end. His skills need to be fully developed, but they won't be if he's not on the field.

There is absolutely no reason why other wide receivers should be on the field over Funchess, considering the team's current predicament at the position.

Last year, the Panthers started a late-season youth movement to get the team back on track. This year, the same might happen far sooner in the process.

A commitment to the running game, more utilization of the team's tight ends and putting Funchess on the field full-time should be done with one goal in mind: to protect and get the most out of the team's franchise quarterback.

Surely, everyone enjoys watching Newton performing superhuman acts, like the one provided below by NFL.com:

But even a 6'5", 245-pound quarterback with elite athleticism eventually wears down and can't overcome opponents single-handedly.

Last year, Newton dealt with an offseason ankle injury, cracked ribs and even survved a scary car accident to lead his team to the playoffs. In the end, though, it didn't matter after the Panthers proved to be no match for the eventual NFC champions, the Seattle Seahawks.

A 2-0 start means nothing if the Panthers can't compete offensively with the NFC's best teams. And no one outside of the Carolinas believes Newton and the Panthers' 26th-ranked offense can contend with the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals or even a healthy Dallas Cowboys squad this season.

One player can only do so much. Football is not an individual sport. Each play requires 11 men working in cohesion to be successful.

As talented as Newton is—and he may be the most physically gifted quarterback to ever play the game—the 10 men around him must play at a higher level for the Panthers to become legitimate contenders.

So far, Newton's individual performance far outweighs the group's.

Advanced statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL and NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.