Cam Newton's Monster Debut Shows That Spread Quarterbacks Can Make It in NFL

Cam Newton's NFL debut was a huge success.

On a team that finished dead last and received the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Cam Newton came up huge for the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. 

Despite the doubters and critics, Cam Newton went out and put on a spectacle, becoming the first rookie quarterback to pass for over 400 yards in his first-ever NFL debut. 

Newton passed for 422 yards, picked up two passing touchdowns and one touchdown on the ground. It was breathtaking!

Newton is a winner, and the fact that he put up such amazing, and dare I say, gaudy passing numbers, was not consolation enough for Newton who was reportedly sitting, downtrodden because of the 21-28 loss.

It was the first loss for Newton since October 31, 2009, when he was at Blinn College.

The telling commentary of the recipient of many of Newton's passes, Steve Smith, is why Newton's debut is so extraordinary, "He was everything that everybody didn't expect him to be.''

Most people around the NFL with an opinion about Newton was that as a spread college quarterback, Newton was way behind the majority of other proven NFL quarterbacks. They believed that the college spread offense was a roadblock to becoming successful at the next level.

Newton's dazzling debut, however, may have some people backtracking and rethinking their presuppositions of Newton and fellow spread quarterbacks and their ability to succeed in the NFL.

Newton led all of the league among quarterbacks in passing in Week 1. The only one even close to him was Drew Brees, who he outpaced by just three yards.

Newton's critics will point out that he lost the game. I will say that without Newton the Panthers wouldn't have even had a chance. Without Newton, the Panthers will go 2-14 again this season, but with Newton, there is a chance to improve, to win games, to surprise teams.

Newton brings an energy to the Panthers. He has intangibles that defensive coordinators cannot game plan for. Defenses must account for him and expect him to make plays, never to give up and do everything possible to win.

Newton's success may open the door for other spread quarterbacks such as Tim Tebow, Ryan Mallett and many others in college programs looking to go to the next level in the NFL. It will take more than one game, but his progress already is very hopeful.

Michael Vick with the Philadelphia Eagles appears to be the only remaining true spread quarterback who came out of college at Virginia Tech and has stuck around in the league because he can use both his arm and his legs to create plays for the offense and cause fits for the defense.

Vick has survived in the NFL because as he has honed his passing accuracy and his ability to remain in the pocket and make plays, he has used his running ability and intangibles to create something from nothing. 

He is a winner. He has manufactured wins from his athletic talent.

Why was Cam Newton selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft? Because he has amazing athletic talents that he uses to win. It is why any athletic-type quarterback is drafted that high.

Tim Tebow isn't as fast as Newton. He might not have the same athletic build as Newton. But Tebow is a beast with a lot of raw athletic talent. In the year he won the Heisman and National Championship as a sophomore and in his senior season when he willed the Florida Gators to victory over Sam Bradford and the Oklahoma Sooners, he repeatedly showed his ability to win and to take his team to the next level.

Tebow is a former first-round draft pick. Many believe that the Denver Broncos drafted him much too high. Their belief is mostly based on the fact that Tebow isn't a pocket passer and he was a spread quarterback with quirky mechanics. They overlook his track record. What he has done on the brightest stage. All his accomplishments, the Heisman as a Sophomore, the only player to ever receive the Heisman so young. They overlook his leadership abilities. 

The quarterback position is more than just arm strength and mechanics. It is more than just making accurate throws consistently. If that was all it took, it wouldn't be the most scrutinized and exalted position in all of sports.

A great quarterback needs to be able to throw the ball and hit their targets, but it is the intangibles that sets a part a quarterback like Kyle Orton from Tom Brady.