Cam Newton: 8 Reasons He's Had so Much Early Success

It's been so easy to get caught up in Cam Newton's early success that no one has stopped and deeply thought of what it is that has made the once scrutinized rookie so extraordinary through the first eight games of his pro career. 

There were more doubts about Newton coming out of college than possibly any first overall choice in draft history. Some asked, "Can he learn to run a pro style scheme?", "Does he have the accuracy to succeed at the next level?", or "Can he win over a locker room with his character concerns?" 

Well, it's easy to say that he's stomped on all of those doubters. Read on to find out exactly how he has defied the logic of experts around the NFL. 

Resiliency

No one takes a loss harder than Cam Newton, but few young quarterbacks have ever seemed to bounce back stronger. 

Newton's put a lot of pressure upon himself early on and has bounced back whenever he appeared to be down. After a rough preseason, he came out of the gates strong. After a three interception performance against Atlanta, he followed up with an extremely efficient performance against Washington that resulted in a Carolina win. 

Younger quarterbacks are often prone to going on long cold streaks, so for Newton to perform the way he has is quite anomalous. 

Offensive Scheme

When the Panthers hired Rob Chudzinski to be their offensive coordinator, they adopted an offense that caters perfectly to Cam Newton's skills. 

Newton is known for his natural arm strength, and he's needed every bit of it to run this offense. Chudzinski's scheme involves many vertical routes and requires great accuracy.

Newton has answered the call and been very consistent on deep throws—especially on out patterns, considered by many to be one of the toughest throws for a quarterback to make. 

Steve Smith

As previously mentioned, the Panthers' offensive scheme incorporates many vertical patterns, which increases the value of a speedy receiver like Smith; it also explains exactly why Smith has been so successful. 

Smith has been Newton's go-to guy and the combination has become one of the most feared in the NFL. When Cam gets hot, it's tough to stop these two. Their timing has become excellent and will only improve over the course of the remaining eight games. 

Jordan Gross

As the weeks have passed, Newton has dropped his release time to the relief of the offensive line, but with his innate ability to create a play with his legs, a high level of commitment from the offensive line is needed. Gross has had his hands full with holding up against top level pass rushers, but he's fared well to this point. 

Newton is undoubtedly the franchise quarterback, so the pressure is on Gross to prevent any possibility of an injury occurring. We know how a weak left tackle has affected the development of quarterbacks in the past, so having an All-Pro at the position has been a blessing for the rookie. 

Ryan Kalil

There is no other relationship quite like that between a quarterback and a center. Every play, they are in contact and reading the defense cooperatively. Having a veteran like Kalil to lean on has helped Newton greatly. 

Kalil is often the man coordinating blitz pickups, so he's also keeping Newton from getting pummeled at times. Just ask Newton what Kalil has meant to him, and I'm sure you'll get a long answer. 

Run Game

It was hard to watch the Panthers' offense last season, when another rookie, Jimmy Clausen, was lining up under center. Clausen struggled for one, because he wasn't adjusted mentally, but also because the Panthers' vaunted running game had disappeared. 

This season, the Panthers are running effectively, and it is opening up the pass game. Newton's become very good on play action passes, and it is clear why. Defense's have enough to keep up with when Steve Smith is slashing through their secondary, but when they're staring at DeAngelo Williams or Jonathan Stewart in the backfield, it adds another variable. 

Playing in the SEC

We're all aware that the closest amateur skill level to the NFL exists in college football's Southeastern Conference. 

This weekend, I watched as the Alabama and LSU secondary—which are mainly comprised of future professionals—ate up the opposing quarterbacks. Newton came out of that conference unscathed and played very well against an extremely high skill level, which assuredly readied him somewhat for the NFL. 

While no college football team will throw Dom Capers-like complex schemes at you, they will force you to give everything you have on every play, and Newton has done that for the Panthers. 

He's One of a Kind

Many scouts doubted Newton's value as a prospect simply because there was no pro to compare him to. He plays like no other and that's why defense's have had no definitive answer to him as of yet. 

He's played as well as any rookie quarterback ever to take on the NFL in his first season. He's a physical specimen, standing at 6'5", 248 lbs and is extremely athletic as well. His tendency to extend the play with his legs, but also sling the football 70 yards down field, makes him one of the rarest players ever to step foot on the gridiron.