Madden 2013: Analyzing Cover Vote Final Between Cam Newton and Calvin Johnson

One player from each team was given a chance to land on the cover of next season's edition of Madden. The field of 32 has been whittled down to two, with Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson facing off in the finals.

Let's take a look at each player's case for deserving a spot on the cover and make a verdict as to which superstar should win the vote.

Cam Newton

Newton took the league by storm after being drafted first overall by the Panthers. He threw for more than 420 yards in each of his first two starts and finished the season with nearly 4,800 total yards and 35 touchdowns.

His dual-threat ability made him a nightmare matchup for opposing defenses and helped pave the way for Robert Griffin III, who has similar skills, to become a top pick in this year's draft after teams started to look away from that style of signal-caller.

Even though he'll only be entering his second season, Newton has a chance to redefine the position. His rare combination of size, athleticism and throwing ability prove you don't always have to perform like Peyton Manning to succeed.

Calvin Johnson

In his fifth season in the league, Johnson posted his second straight campaign with at least 1,000 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns. His able to manhandle smaller cornerbacks is unmatched and he still hasn't reached his prime.

The Lions offense has the look of a unit that's going to dominate the NFL for years to come. With Johnson commanding triple-teams regularly, it opens up the field for everybody else and when all else fails, Matthew Stafford can just throw it up and Johnson will go get it.

There isn't a receiver in the league more physically gifted than him. He's finally figuring out how to use that to his advantage and he's become virtually unstoppable in the process. That's not likely to change anytime soon, either.

Verdict

Credit to Newton for an awesome first NFL season and his potential is through the roof. That said, an argument can be made that he wasn't even one of the top seven or eight quarterbacks in the league last season, let alone the top player overall.

On the other hand, no receiver made a bigger impact than Johnson. And in today's game, where high-powered offenses reign supreme, that makes him an invaluable resource to the Lions. His eye-popping catches and game-changing plays set him apart from the pack.

That's why Calvin Johnson should be on the Madden cover.