What's Wrong with Cam Newton?

You think Superman ever gets bored as Clark Kent?

Sure, "Kent" is a big-deal reporter, but he's Superman. Underneath the suit and glasses, he's the most powerful being on Earth. He can see through walls, throw cars one-handed and shrug off bullets. Imagine him sitting in status meetings, holding a mug of coffee he won't even drink, trying to pay attention to a PowerPoint presentation about some new Daily Planet corporate initiative and wondering why he even bothers.

He might look a lot like how Cam Newton looked against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.

The Panthers' second play of the game was a lost DeAngelo Williams fumble. Their third offensive play was an interception; Newton forced a pass to receiver Kelvin Benjamin in traffic, when Benjamin had inexplicably stopped running his slant route.

Things, incredibly, went downhill from there. Newton was sacked an unbelievable nine times for minus-91 yards, often getting swarmed by defenders before he could even finish dropping back. At times, he appeared listless or possibly hurt; his decision-making alternated between stubborn over-aggression and profound disengagement.

Even considering he was hung out to dry by his offensive line and had no help from his running backs (3.2 yards per carry), defense (31 offensive points allowed) or special teams (punt returned for touchdown), Newton still made some poor choices and poor throws. It was hard to shake the idea he was just Clark Kent, killing time until quitting time.

Newton's physical tools are tremendous, as complete as can be. His ego's been a matter of debate since before he was drafted, but after three seasons in the league it was clear that (a) he is a bit of an odd duck, and (b) his on-field decision-making has consistently improved.

This season started off fine, despite the Panthers losing both offensive tackles and, functionally, the entire receiving corps in the offseason. Ankle and rib injuries that hampered Newton in the summer also kept him out of the season opener against Tampa Bay, but backup Derek Anderson kept it between the lines and got the win.

Newton made his debut in Detroit against the NFL's No. 1 scoring defense and completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 281 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. The Panthers won handily.

Rookie Kelvin Benjamin, the fifth receiver drafted in May, proved he had the playmaking ability to make an instant impact. Tight end Greg Olsen set a career-year pace, and generally, Carolina's big personnel gamble looked like it was going to work out.

Since then, the Panthers are 1-6-1.

Year	Cmp%	TD%	Int%	Rate	QBR	ANY/A	Sk%
2011	60	4.1	3.3	84.5	56.16	6.24	6.3
2012	57.7	3.9	2.5	86.2	54.1	6.65	6.9
2013	61.7	5.1	2.7	88.8	56.17	5.69	8.3
2014	58.1	3.4	2.7	80.1	47.84	5.15	9.2
Career	59.5	4.2	2.8	85.4	-	6.02	7.5

On the season, Newton's rate stats are as poor, or poorer, than they've ever been. Whatever progression he'd made throughout his first three seasons has vanished. He's also not the ground weapon he used to be; he's on pace for career lows in rushing attempts, yards, average yards per carry and touchdowns.

Yes, his offensive line is giving him the worst pass protection of any team in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Yes, his only quality receiver (Benjamin) has the third-highest drop rate in the NFL. Yes, the vaunted Panthers rushing attack is 26th in average yards per carry, and the even-more-vaunted Panthers defense is ranked 29th in scoring.

So what? He's Superman, and he knows it.

"I have to protect the football better," Newton said after Monday's game, per the team's official site. "I can't put the ball up for grabs. I have to understand the difference between giving our guys an opportunity and risking the football. And in the pocket, I've got to be better."

This, though, wasn't just one bad day at the office. His unforced errors have been piling up for a while. Here's a 2nd-and-13 in the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints, a game the Panthers desperately needed to win in order to stay in the NFC South title race:

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

The Panthers are lined up in 1-1 personnel, with tight end Olsen to the right and three receivers lined up to the left. Newton is in the shotgun, tailback Jonathan Stewart lined up next to him. The Saints are in a 4-2-5 nickel package, with one high safety and a mixture of man and off-man coverage underneath.

Olsen's route here is a 10-yard curl. He'll sit down right in front of cornerback Corey White. Newton likes this look from the jump, but knows he has to keep his eye on inside linebacker Ramon Humber (circled in red).

From the snap, Newton watches Humber, and it's quickly clear that his assignment is to man up on Stewart out of the backfield. Here's the instant Newton decides to make the throw, from his perspective:

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Newton's locked on to Humber, Humber's on Stewart, Olsen should be open. Sure enough, he is:

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Despite making his decision before Olsen even goes into his break, much less comes out of it, Newton starts to feel the interior pressure. He sets his back foot, but he doesn't transfer his weight and ends up shorting the follow-through:

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

The ball sails on Newton; Olsen can only watch as it flies over his head and nearly into White's outstretched arms.

Now, it's the offensive line's fault for allowing the pressure here, but when an NFL quarterback knows he's got a wide-open receiver (you look above, you'll see he had three), he's got to make a play. A savvy veteran like Tom Brady could take a drop-step away from the pressure and deliver the ball on time; instead of a hopeless 3rd-and-13, the Panthers would have been facing 3rd-and-short.

When Newton says he's "got to be better in the pocket," this is what he's talking about: awareness, savvy, managing pressure without panicking and taking what the defense gives you.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Taking big chances when you're down multiple touchdowns isn't irresponsible, it's necessary—and throwing bad picks in the middle of a blowout isn't evidence of a major problem. Even Brady's done that this season, and look where the Patriots are now.

Newton doesn't need to run faster than a speeding bullet or leap tall buildings in a single bound for the Panthers to win. In order to take the next step, he's got to get the little things right, polishing his technique and keeping his head in the game.

Making these corrections might be too little, too late to get the Panthers back to the playoffs in 2014—but they could save Newton's career, not to mention Ron Rivera's job, in 2015 and beyond.

All stats are from Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.