Cam Newton: 6 Reasons Why He'll Lead the Panthers to Victory in Week 1

Week 1 is upon us and first on the docket for the Carolina Panthers is the Arizona Cardinals. Both teams have new quarterbacks, revamped teams and both are looking to come out and prove they are better than their record portrayed last season.

The Panthers have not lost to the Cardinals in the regular season, but Arizona has that 2008 playoff game to look back on.

This is a new season with two very different teams from their 2010 selves, but the result will be the same as the Panthers look to start 1-0.

Running Game

The biggest key to the Panthers’ second win and Jimmy Clausen’s first career win was the rushing attack of the Panthers.

Combined, Jonathan Stewart and Mike Goodson combined for 158 yards on 37 carries. The offensive line did well, but it was the physical running style of Stewart that just overpowered the Cardinals.

The run game helped the Panthers control the ball for almost 37 minutes and kept the turnovers to a minimum.

The Cardinals have a good-sized line, especially with Dan Williams up the middle, but they did not make any major changes to the front seven of the defense, and this could be the key to a Panthers victory.

So how is Cam Newton going to lead them? He is going to take the snap, not fumble it and hand the ball off.

This is not as easy as it looks—just ask Clausen—but in his first NFL game, handing the ball off to the guys who do their job best will be crucial to a Panthers victory. It’s simple but it will be the first step in Newton leading Carolina to a win.

The Other Running Game

Handing the ball off will be one of Newton’s best decisions against the Cardinals, but occasionally it will be the right time to perform a play-action and just decide to stretch his legs.

Newton’s first touchdown in the preseason came on a run play where he used his speed, spin and length to reach the end zone. He ran nine times during the preseason and had a number of big plays.

Newton will give the offense the boost it needs with a big run here and there. Plus, after a run or two the defense will be weary and blitz less while spying more.

I expect a crucial drive to be sustained or capped off by a big Newton run. The Cardinals just won’t know what hit them. 

Steve Smith

Larry Fitzgerald is a great receiver, but let’s face it: being 6’3” plus helps, a lot. If he were Smith’s size, he would not be anywhere near the same player.

Steve Smith will be another key factor in the game. He is small, but has a fire like no other and knows how to make the most of his small stature.

Smith will likely have Patrick Peterson covering him, poor guy. Smith definitely has the speed but it will be his shiftiness and his experience that will make Peterson look like the rookie he is.

The only problem is, Smith has to have the ball in order to properly welcome Peterson into the NFL. This is where Newton comes in.

Newton attempted to make a connection with Smith during the preseason, but failed miserably. The Panthers are most successful when Smith has the ball and Newton will do his best to get it to him.

Newton will probably start off with a couple short passes to Smith, like a screen, just to get the ball rolling, but he is going to connect with Smith all day and the defense will not have a chance.

The Tight Ends

Another reason why Newton is primed to lead his team to a Week 1 victory is he knows how to use the biggest targets on the field. There is no doubt that Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey will be targeted numerous times in the first game.

Having two 6’5” targets with great hands is a huge asset and Newton has showed that he knows how to get the ball to him since the first game of the preseason. His first few passes will likely be to either Olsen or Shockey just to get his rhythm going before he and Smith take over the show.

The NFC West is not full of great tight ends. The division has Vernon Davis and John Carlson. Davis is explosive and Carlson is reliable, but they play for two separate teams. The Cardinals will have to deal with two 6’5” guys at the same time.

Newton’s first preseason pass and first touchdown were both to a tight end, I expect this to be a common occurrence in the Newton’s first real game.

Pocket Presence

As mentioned earlier, the Cardinals front seven is not going to intimidate anyone. On the flip side, the Panthers offensive line hasn’t been top-notch this preseason either. Last season, Clausen was sacked twice, and that was with a make-shift line.

This season, Jeff Otah will be back. The Panthers also added Max Jean-Gilles who started for the Philadelphia Eagles last season. These two will eliminate the troubles the line was having on the right side during the preseason.

With the right side solidified, Newton will have more time in the pocket to set his feet and release. Newton already has very good pocket presence as he was not sacked after the Giants preseason game.

Newton knows when to run and when to step up and throw, but add an improved right side and Newton’s accuracy will improve vastly. Newton will then have time to either throw to a receiver or just take off and run, which is better than being forced to do one or the other.

Newton is already dangerous when running for his life, just imagine what he’ll be like when he has time to choose what to do.

Jimmy Clausen Did It

Overall, Newton is ready to do what it takes to win, but more importantly he almost has to win. Why? Jimmy Clausen did it.

The Cardinals are much improved and the team is not the same offensively as it was last season, but Clausen still beat them 19-12 last season. He even performed well, going 13-of-19 with 141 yards and a touchdown.

If Newton wants to start silencing the critics and prove he is better than Clausen, he will come out and dominate. The Cardinals have a decent secondary, but Adrian Wilson is not close to full strength and the secondary is not much changed from last year.

Newton has a run game and he’ll use it. He has tight ends and he’ll use them. He has Steve Smith and he’ll use him. Now is the time for Newton to establish himself in the NFL and start the Newton era with a glorious win.