Christian Ponder vs Cam Newton: Which QB Were We Most Wrong About?

This season has seen its share of surprises, but the play of the rookie quarterbacks has been the most surprising.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton opened the season with a 400 yards passing performance, something nobody expected. However, other rookie quarterbacks have also looked impressive, including Minnesota Vikings QB Christian Ponder.

Heading in to the draft, Newton was receiving a lot of criticism and questions about his ability to play in pro style offense. While at Auburn, Newton orchestrated an offensive system that relied on his ability to run with the football. So many of his electrifying plays came from predetermined quarterback running plays.

Most run first quarterbacks struggle to find balance in the NFL. They tend to take their eyes off the receivers and look for space to run the ball. However, Newton has not played this type of football. He is looking to make plays with his arm, and succeeding.

Newton was also expected to struggle picking up the concepts of a pro system. At Auburn, he relied heavily on his coaching staff to make reads and call plays from the sideline. Newton was rarely asked to read a defense and identify weaknesses. The majority of the passing plays were predetermined reads, with Newton usually having his decision made before the snap.

All the doubters were wrong about Newton. He has not only played well, but he has excelled in the passing game. Newton is proving that he is capable of being a real star in the NFL. He will eventually hit the rookie wall, but he has shown enough promise to make you believe he will have a great NFL career.

Ponder is in a bit of a different situation, as he only has a little more than a game under his belt. It is hard to really evaluate his play based on one game, but in that little time, he has shown some promise.

Ponder was considered the most NFL ready quarterback in the 2011 draft class. He is a smart player who also possesses a ton of experience at the college level.  His performance thus far has shown that he has a bright future.