Cam Newton: 3 Improvements He Must Make Before Week 3

Cam Newton continues to steal headlines with his play despite the Carolina Panthers being 0-2.

The Heisman Trophy winner has entered the NFL with a bang. But he needs to improve in certain areas to continue to succeed. 

Newton wasn't as good against the Green Bay Packers as he was against the Arizona Cardinals, which isn't that big of a surprise considering the differences in the defenses.

Still, late in the game, Newton had the Panthers in a red-zone situation similar to last week with a chance to tie the game. And once again, the Panthers and Newton fell short.

The disappointment on Newton's face was evident, which is a good sign for Panther fans and the organization. It's clear that Newton is all about winning and has the competitive drive of an elite quarterback.

One day, Newton will be an elite quarterback, after he undergoes the typical growing pains of a rookie and gains more experience. But for next week, there are three things that he can fix right now to help the Panthers win their first game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Throw the Ball Away

Last year, Jimmy Clausen quarterbacked the Panthers through most of the season, and he had the propensity to throw the ball away too much.

The opposite can be said this year with Newton under center. Newton forced some throws that ended up being intercepted by the Packers.

Late in the game, the Panthers were in the red zone with a chance to tie the game. Carolina ran Newton out on a bootleg on 3rd-and-1, but Green Bay had sniffed it out.

Instead of throwing the ball away, Newton took a sack, forcing the Panthers into a 4th-and-4, which they failed to complete.

The sack he took was unacceptable, yet it fits with Newton's inability to accept defeat on a play. He wants to win so bad that at times he overdoes it to a point where it hurts the team.

For the Panthers to beat the Jaguars, Newton must realize that sometimes you have to play for another down.

Run When Opportunity Presents Itself

Someone has got into Newton's head about not running the ball an excessive amount. But there were times against the Packers when there was a clear lane for him to take off and run, yet he opted to force a throw or got sacked.

It's a good sign that Newton is willing to stay in the pocket, although he needs to use his running ability when the opportunity is there for him. When the pocket collapses on him, he needs to instinctively take the running lane that is given and slide before he takes a shot.

Staying healthy is equally as important as winning games this year for Newton.

The Panthers need him on the field for all 16 games so he can become more comfortable with the speed of the game.

Check Down to the Running Backs

Jonathan Stewart finished with eight catches for 100 yards on Sunday, with most of them coming late in the game.

All of his catches came on simple check-downs. After the Packers stopped blitzing Newton and dropped more defensive backs into coverage, he adjusted and started to dump the ball off instead of forcing it into a tight spot.

Blitzing Newton isn't always the best option despite him being a rookie. He has handled it well thus far. He struggles more when the opposing team rushes only three or four lineman and drops everyone else back into coverage. 

When that happens against Jacksonville, it will be vital for Newton to make simple check-downs to avoid forcing throws to receivers who aren't open.

The Jaguars may not possess the defense the Packers do, but you can expect Jack Del Rio will implement similar coverages that Green Bay used on Sunday.

If Newton is able to make these three improvements, the Panthers are going to walk out of Bank of America stadium with their first win of the season.