Cam Newton Needs Help, but Deserves Share of Blame for Panthers' Playoff Loss

This year, the Carolina Panthers became only the fourth team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record of 7-8-1, another rise on the roller coaster that was the Panthers' 2014-15 season. 

Unfortunately for the Panthers, that roller coaster included another turn downhill Saturday night, when they lost 31-17 to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round.

Carolina reached the playoffs this season thanks to its opponents' poor play, but Cam Newton played a key role in spite of multiple odds and obstacles. His performance Saturday night against the Seahawks ultimately wasn't enough to lead the Panthers to the NFC Championship Game, but the organization did little to help him get there. 

It's been a recurring storyline this season, and Saturday night, it had the chance to play out one last time: General manager Dave Gettleman simply did not surround Newton with a team built to win, and Newton proved to be as much a casualty of that as he was an issue within it. 

Newton's performance Saturday night—23-of-36 for 246 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, for a passer rating of 79.2—just wasn't enough to win in the playoffs against a defense like Seattle's. But at the same time, his team repeatedly hindered him rather than helped. 

First, there is Carolina's offensive line, a subpar unit that Gettleman should have been ashamed to put on the field to start the season and one that had no business in the playoffs. Forget the multiple injuries, which were obviously out of Gettleman's control. The original starting lineup on the offensive line was unfit to protect Newton.

The last time Carolina lost to Seattle, the Panthers had played seven consecutive different lineups on the offensive line, per ESPN.com's David Newton. But after that, they had the same group start five straight games.

While the overall play on the offensive line has improved over that span, especially in run-blocking, there were still too many weak links. Byron Bell played 15 games at left tackle this season and was ranked the second-worst tackle in the league by Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That's 31st out of 32nd among all left tackles who started a majority of games for their teams. 

Carolina's offensive line ultimately finished the season ranked 29th in pass-blocking. As the Panthers turned to Jonathan Stewart more toward the end of the season, the line improved in run-blocking.

But the increase in the run game is indicative of another organizational failing: the lack of pass-catching weapons for Newton. 

Steve Smith and Brandon LaFell have both become instrumental weapons for Joe Flacco and Tom Brady; LaFell helped lead the New England Patriots to the AFC Championship Game. But New England's and Baltimore's gain has magnified Carolina's loss. 

The Panthers began the season with rookie Kelvin Benjamin and veterans Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant slotted in as Newton's top three targets. We saw how that turned out. 

Carolina cut Avant in mid-November after he had amassed just 201 yards and one touchdown, pointing to his lack of speed. However, it became clear that one of Gettleman's rare positive moves for the team this year was signing undrafted free-agent rookie Philly Brown. 

Brown has come on as a legitimate weapon for Newton this season with his quickness. But his small size is no match for defenders like Richard Sherman, and seeing that matchup play out Saturday night was yet another example of how Gettleman has failed to surround Newton with weapons. 

Benjamin, of course, is special and will be Newton's top target for seasons to come. No matter his talent level, however, very few rookies are ready to be thrust into a No. 1-receiver situation. For all his incredible big plays, Benjamin also finished the regular season with 11 drops, tied for the second-most among all wide receivers in 2014, per Pro Football Focus. 

Was Benjamin an excellent draft pick? Absolutely. His two touchdowns against the Seahawks kept the Panthers in the game. But Newton should have had a talented, veteran receiver as his go-to weapon this season, and he didn't. 

If it weren't for Greg Olsen, acquired during Marty Hurney's tenure as general manager, Newton and the Panthers probably wouldn't have made the postseason at all. His six touchdowns were more than any wide receiver had, save Benjamin.

He and Benjamin both ended the regular season with exactly 1,008 yards. Olsen had almost as many yards this postseason (95) as Benjamin (108). 

And though they do not line up next to Newton, the Panthers defense also deserves its share of blame for Saturday night's loss. He put the team in position to contend, with a score of 14-10 heading into halftime.

Then, Seattle scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, and Newton's 15-yard touchdown pass to Benjamin with two minutes, 34 seconds left wasn't enough to save the Panthers' season. 

Of course, Newton's mistakes can't be overlooked. Though his pass that was intercepted by Richard Sherman essentially acted as a punt, his pick-six and his lost fumble cost the Panthers. Both led to Seattle scores on the same play and the subsequent drive. 

But the take-home point of the night wasn't Newton's play, but how his team failed him. 

Newton can lead his team to more playoff wins in the future. But in order to do that, he'll need an offensive line that can provide him with enough time in the pocket, especially since offensive coordinator Mike Shula has stressed Newton's pocket presence.

He'll also need legitimate pass-catching weapons, a mix of talented players who combine speed and size to overcome the types of defenses that Carolina could face in future playoff matchups. 

On Saturday night, he didn't have those things, and it cost Carolina its season.