Panthers' No-Huddle Offense Is the Catalyst for an Improved Cam Newton

Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula is starting to figure out exactly how to utilize quarterback Cam Newton despite the injuries currently plaguing the organization's franchise player. 

The Panthers won 31-24 Sunday against the Chicago Bears in spite of themselves. 

Carolina surrendered more yards, held the ball nearly six minutes less and committed three turnovers. Yet it's a testament to the team's character how it continued to battle throughout the game and make plays when needed. 

A slight detour in play-calling by Shula may have laid the foundation for the future of this year's offense. 

With the Panthers trailing 21-7 and one minute, 51 seconds remaining in the first half, the offensive coordinator decided to pick up the pace and start using the no-huddle. One minute, 39 seconds later, Newton found tight end Greg Olsen open for a touchdown to close the gap to one score. 

The change wasn't something simply used during a two-minute drill. The Panthers used increased tempo at the start of the second half with the same result. 

Newton thrived once he was given the keys to the offense. The former Auburn quarterback once blossomed in Gus Malzahn's spread offense. Despite a limited sample size, Newton was clearly better once he was given the reins and allowed to operate in the no-huddle.

Type of play	Snaps	Passing	Yards	Touchdowns	Interceptions
No-huddle	11	6-of-9	95	1	0
Huddle	55	13-of-26	160	1	1

The team certainly took notice of Newton's newfound comfort level. 

Panthers center Ryan Kalil told The Charlotte Observer's Jonathan Jones there was a difference felt throughout the offense:

"

He does a good job of recognizing the defense and he does a good job of keeping it going. I thought obviously we were able to get in more of a rhythm. Not that the huddle stuff wasn’t effective, but for whatever reason we were able to keep the momentum going and keep them on their heels and finish. That’s what you want to do.

"

Not only did Shula speed up the pace, but he also kept his quarterback in the shotgun most of the game. Newton was only under center 36 percent of the time Sunday (including two snaps from victory formation at the end of the game). 

What's the best way to help a quarterback hampered by a lingering ankle injury and a cracked rib? Make him as comfortable as possible in the pocket. 

Shula's approach is old hat for Newton. It's like sliding on an old and comfortable pair of jogging pants. It just suits the quarterback. 

Carolina's no-huddle offense is in line with those Newton ran at the University of Florida, Blinn College and Auburn University. Newton entered the NFL as a spread quarterback who needed to adjust to the NFL game. The Panthers are now adjusting to him to help their injured quarterback. 

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Newton was a star at Auburn under the direction of Malzahn, who was the team's offensive coordinator at the time. During the 2010 campaign, Newton threw for 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,473 yards and 20 scores. Newton led his team to a national championship and received a Heisman Trophy for his efforts.

Carolina's scheme is slightly different, because Newton is a more advanced passer today than he was four years ago and can't run the ball as effectively due to his current ailments. But the team's usage of a no-huddle, shotgun offense allows the quarterback to do things he's far more comfortable doing. 

“He reacts to a lot of things, and he makes a lot of good decisions when we put it in his hands like that," Panthers head coach Ron Rivera told The Charlotte Observer's Jones. "I think that’s something that he thrives on.” 

The scheme itself dictates three things for Newton. 

It grants the quarterback more time before the snap to decipher the defense and where the ball should go. Newton can operate as fast or as meticulously as he pleases, and it's all dependent on what he sees at the line of scrimmage before each play. 

Once the ball is snapped, the quarterback's reads are generally simpler. Newton should know where he is going with the ball as soon as he barks out his cadence and receives the snap. Furthermore, there are only so many route combinations the receivers are going to run without plays being called from the sideline. 

Finally, the defense can't be as aggressive with its play-calling as it attempts to adjust on the fly. A no-huddle offense generally forces defenses into basic schemes due to the unit's inability to rotate players between plays. 

"Defenses do not have time to adjust too much when you push the tempo," Oregon Ducks head coach Mark Hefrich told Grantland.com's Chis Brown during an interview in August. "What the quarterback sees is what he generally gets.”

Obviously, the Panthers can't operate from the no-huddle or shotgun at all times. Defenses will eventually adjust. But the ability to vary tempo and formations keeps defenses on their heels. 

The offense will only become more deadly once Newton is capable of running the ball effectively. The 6'5", 245-pound quarterback is still the team's best weapon out of the backfield, but he has only run the ball 14 times this season. 

Whether or not Newton is healthy enough to run the ball, the Panthers should continue to incorporate more no-huddle into the offensive game plan and allow the most talented player on the field to do what he does best.