Collapse of the running game has exposed Cam's weaknesses as a passer

[electro's horse]

Last year was the culmination of 3 years of a coaching staff and quarterback designing a system that accomplished three things:

1. Was effective. It was a good offense. Fairly obvious and straight forward

2. Maintained the desired aesthetic of the coaching staff and ownership. As explosive downfield as it was, the offense was predicated upon running the football. I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest Jerry wants the team to play a certain way.

3. Hid the deficiencies of its most important player, Cam Newton. Cam is a horrific short to mid range passer and has not developed that part of his game. 

In 2015, the Panthers used a very creative and effective running game utilizing athletic interior lineman and the unique threat of Cam Newton to paralyze mid level defenses and buy time for long developing receiving routes. WRs will always get open if they have enough time. These throws are easier for Cam to make than anticipation throws between coverage. They have less a technique barrier and more a physical one, which obviously Cam is more comfortable overcoming. The threat of multiple runs forced linebackers to stay tighter to the box before breaking into coverage/hold off on more exotic blitzes, as well as putting into the strong safety's mind that he might have to come down and make a tackle.

The result was Cam was very rarely forced to make throws he doesn't like (short, intermediate) and allowed him to focus on what he enjoys doing (running the ball and throwing deep)

As much poo as Mike Shula gets on here, and all of it is completely deserved, its unfair not to give him the credit he deserves for last season. It was an unbelievably effective, fun offense that put its best player in the best position to succeed and successfully hid his deficiencies, until of course the Super Bowl.

What you're seeing now is the league's reaction after an offseason to watch tape, and it was predictable. There are two proximal causes to this as I see it. 

1. Regression to the mean of the offensive line. I feel the Panthers offensive line massively overachieved last year based on its raw talent level. The problem of weak tackle play this year was foreshadowed against Denver in the Super Bowl. A combination of players coming back to Earth, age (grouping Tolbert in here), and injuries have decimated this unit. The run blocking is no longer as crisp, and the pass blocking is non existent.

2. Cam is no longer a threat to run the ball. Again, the league has adjusted to the offense, and Denver provided the blueprint. When Cam runs, you hit him. When he hands it off, you hit him. When he runs the read, you just dive on him and worry about the RB later. Not only do you hit him, but you hit him high. You take every shot at his head as you can, because the refs do not view Cam in the pocket the way they view other QBs. As a result, the Panthers have stopped using Cam as the battering ram to open up the deep intermediate-deep throws they thrived on last year.

i wrote earlier this season that the Panthers had to stop running Cam, and that Shula was not equipped to adjust the offense. To my chagrin, both of those charges have been proven accurate. Cam is no longer the running threat he was for his first five years in the league (injuries and hesitation), and the coaching staff has done a miserable job adjusting. 

Again, Shula deserves tons of blame here.

But so does Cam.

The Panthers do not have an intermediate passing game to speak of, and most of this is squarely on Cam's shoulders. The playcalling is horrific, to be fair. No one would claim otherwise. Additionally, the Panthers are not built at WR to play that game. Of all their receivers, I don't see a lot of New England esque lateral agility, unless you're living in a fever dream where Brentson Bersin is ever going to contribute to an NFL team in any positive way. 

Cam has never developed these routes and throws. To give you an analogy, it takes a whole lot more technique to hit a free throw than it does to huck one up from mid court. Cam's deep passes look better because in part the wide receiver is going to be more open, and he has an ability to adjust to the pass. Now sure, Cam has dropped some inexplicable dimes this season, and I think he's generally more comfortable throwing deep, but that point stands. 

Cam's inconsistent mechanics and inability to throw receivers open make the development of an intermediate passing game this season doubtful at best, and questionable moving forward.

Again, Shula has to go. I've been beating that drum since before he was hired. But even if he were competent enough to gameplan around these problems, I think his hands are tied. 

Right now the Panthers struggle to protect, struggle to run block, and struggle to score points after opposing defensive coordinators adjust for whatever small wrinkles are put into the game plan. The natural response would be to run more screens, more slants, more quick passes. Change the tempo and try to get the defense off guard. Force them out of their base sets and take away their ability to blitz, which is absolutely crushing the Panthers this season. This is not advanced analysis, or anything controversial.

I do not think the coaches feel Cam can run this offense, and I don't think they're wrong. 

Fixing these problems will not happen during the season. There's simply too much going on, too much rehab, too much film study, too many injuries, too many things to focus on, etc. The only way Cam will fix these issues is to seriously approach the problems in the offseason. For that to happen, he's gonna have to take a long hard look at what happened this season, why it went wrong, and how he can improve to make sure these don't happen again. He's going to have to turn down the fashion shows, and the Nickelodeon whatevers, and the constant endorsements, and sit down with a coach, probably someone new, and fix his poo out.

I'm working on the assumption that Shula is gone, and this isn't the thread to argue about firing one or all of the coaches. I don't know who the next offensive coordinator will be. I don't know if Ron will promote from within, or find a yes man like he did with Shula, or go with someone he has history with that might be able to get a little more creative like Norv. I do know that the next offensive coordinator for this team has to come in and say "This is how I will fix Cam Newton." And I'm going to make big offensive coordinator mega thread in the near future so we can debate that. Just to give you a hint, my top choice's name rhymes with Blavid Sutcliffe. 

But the days of hiding Cam's deficiencies are gone. They've been exposed, and the offense that let him do it was getting him killed. He's going to have to develop a full passing repertoire if the team has any hope of reaching the heights of 2015. 

And that's on Cam. 

[grateflday]

The read option has to go. It's so ineffective. Feels like every time we run it , it's a wasted play.


Sent from my iPhone using CarolinaHuddle

[mcdougal]

I seem to remember a QB that with a shorten offseason in his first year that threw for well over 4000. Funny how "coaching" and lack of offensive talent has a way eroding Newton's ability as a passer.

[TheRed]

After your hard count thread, you should probably just log out for awhile Fiz. 

[mcdougal]

And again, OP, if I go through your posting history, I will see lots of posts complaining about the lack of talent around Newton right?

The Panthers had a bottom 1/3 passing attack last year and the Panthers decided that a KB coming off ACL was good enough. Please keep in mind it wasn't as if KB was some top 5 WR either. Hell, he was barely a top 5 WR in his OWN DRAFT.

Again, stop complaining about the offense now...if you were COMPLETELY silent about them all throughout the off-season.

[CRA]

Any QB with a bad OL and bad WRs with no running game....

...will be a bad passer.

Cam is one of the few things not wrong with this team yet here we go focusing on him 

[SOJA]

great post Fiz

[electro's horse]

4 minutes ago, mcdougal said:

And again, OP, if I go through your posting history, I will see lots of posts complaining about the lack of talent around Newton right?

No.

[Jangler]

The Red...right on time. Fiz is correct. Cam has not grown, at all, and the league did. Norv experience will save Cam, if he wants to grow as a passer. He will now be a year older, another year of punishment. Cam has to become the complete QB. Year 7, I'd make Peyton Manning my BFF.

[truthjuice]

LMAO. 

LMAO. 

[mcdougal]

2 minutes ago, electro's horse said:

No.

Then please shut up about the offense now.

You guys sit up here and say NOTHING as our Front Office goes defense, defense, defense, defense...or worst yet scream down anyone who tries to warn you that this approach of going all in on defense and neglecting the offense will have real consequences come September.

Then the season begins and you guys are yelling at Cam for not carrying junk to a top 5 offense...season after season.

Cam Newton did that last season.

IT IS TIME HIS FRONT OFFICE STEPS UP TO THE PLATE AND GETS HIM THE HELP THAT A MVP DESERVES.

We are not the Browns. We have a generational talent at QB being wasted away because his MORONIC front office thinks that offensive talent is optional.  

[electro's horse]

First round pick in 2014 was on a receiver, second round pick in 2015 was on a receiver.

[truthjuice]

The lack of run game exposed Mike Shula's inability to adjust, Ron, Dave and others LMAO. 

Yall need some Valium. This is the strangest fanbase ever. 

[Saca312]

I feel we need an impact RB from the draft to really show up on our run game.

If we could land Fournette or a 2nd round pick on Foreman, I think we have an improved RB corps right there.