Why Cam Newton Is Carolina Panthers' 1st-Half MVP

Following a heartbreaking 13-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Carolina Panthers are now just 3-4-1 and have already matched their loss total from 2013. 

Typically, when a team takes such a step back in performance, the quarterback is the first player to receive the blame of the fans, media and sometimes even team management. But that's absolutely not the case with the Panthers this season. 

Without Cam Newton, there's little chance that Carolina would still be atop the NFC South standings; outside of tight end Greg Olsen, he's been their most consistent offensive performer, which is rarely the case for a 25-year-old quarterback with as mediocre of a supporting cast as his.

Speaking of that supporting cast, let's take a look at the players Newton has to work with right now. After all, a carpenter is only as good as his tools, right?

We'll begin with the offensive line since it had one of its worst collective performances Sunday—five quarterback hits, three sacks—against a Seattle defense that entered the game with just seven sacks on the season, fourth lowest in the league. 

Both tackles have been disappointing, to put it mildly. Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranks left tackle Byron Bell and right tackle Nate Chandler as the fourth- and eighth-worst offensive tackles in the league in pass protection this season, respectively. 

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Obviously, not even PFF's rating system provides a perfectly accurate review of a player's performance, but the story doesn't change much during film review. Newton rarely has as much room in the pocket as he'd like, and of all NFL quarterbacks, he's had the seventh-most passes batted down at the line—the result of offensive linemen failing to keep their hands engaged throughout the protection. 

The league's fourth-worst rushing attack in terms of yards per attempt also isn't keeping opposing defenses guessing, and without effective play action, the play-calling flexibility of this offense becomes very limited. 

Consider also that two of the five receivers who have seen the field for the Panthers are undrafted free agents (Brenton Bersin and Philly Brown), while the remainder is made up of rookie Kelvin Benjamin and two past-their-prime 30-plus-year-olds in Jerricho Cotchery (32) and Jason Avant (31). 

If this doesn't sound to you like a recipe for success with a young quarterback, you'd be right in most situations, but Newton is still playing exceptionally well despite lacking talent around him. I'd say he's certainly having the best season of his four-year career, and that's both encouraging and impressive in its own right considering all that the two-time Pro Bowler has accomplished in his short period in the league. 

USA TODAY Sports

There's no question that Newton still has a ways to go in terms of limiting the ill-advised throws—as in the underhanded interception against the Seahawks—and developing better pocket sense, but he's made great strides throwing from the pocket and knowing when to tuck and run this season, as well as just becoming a better game manager. 

Newton played a very efficient game against the Detroit Lions, who have one of the top defenses in the NFL this season, to seal the Panthers' most impressive win of the season thus far, and other than facing the relatively soft defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he has really gone through the gauntlet of NFL defenses. 

However, the strength of his opponents will soon change dramatically, beginning with the New Orleans Saints on Thursday. The Panthers still have five division games remaining on their schedule, and at the season's midway point, no division is playing worse defensive football—it's not far-fetched to say that the three poorest defenses in the league reside in the NFC South this year. 

I expect Newton to get back into everyone's good graces as soon as he posts a few more stat lines like his 284-yard passing, 107-yard rushing performance in Cincinnati in Week 6. 

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

At the end of the day, Newton has largely carried this offense, and it will be to his credit if he can shoulder the weight all the way to the playoffs this season. The Panthers don't have the same defense they had in 2013, so he might have to do just that if Carolina has any hopes of reaching the postseason, even in the weak NFC South. 

All statistics courtesy of ProFootballFocus.com. Subscription is required for premium stats.