Some constructive criticism on Cam Newton's performance. Please don't shoot.

[rayzor]

I highly doubt there is such a passing play in an NFL playbook that is scripted to "not go to anyone else". Maybe some freak trick play, and that wasn't one of them, but any play designed is going to have other options, especially one on 4th and Goal on the last play of the game.

I don't buy that one.

it's not "throw to no one else".

it's get the ball to player X if you can. then look for other options.

your primary read is the one that you get the ball to unless and only unless that option is shut down.

once cam has been in the league a while he can go maverick on play calls like that, but this was his first game in his first season. that's not his call to make.

[PantherFanForLife]

No one is going to pick up Nannee at the 10 since the first down marker is at the 1. If you look though 25 is coming to cover Nannee and 51 is handing off the outside receiver and is coming back for Goodson. He would not have gotten the first down and he was only open because the coverage is deeper than your picture which only shows 9 guys not 11.

Err... the spot where you see Naanee in that picture is basically the same exact spot where Goodson grabs the pass. Nanee wasn't at the 10. He was at the 5 at that point. Check again. If Nanee wasn't going to get it with that much speed and no one around him, Goodson sure as heck wasn't either with a guy wrapping his arms around him while he's trying to catch the ball.

Also, no one else was on Naanee. The other guy(who was actually Nanee's defender) ended up trying to cover #88 and is to the left of the screen. He was also beat and #88 had the inside route on him and was open for a TD in the endzone. 88 was the third option and you can see him waving his hands in the endzone. The other defender is all the way to the right and has nothing to do with Naanee. He was busy covering Smith in the far corner.

[panthers55]

I highly doubt there is such a passing play in an NFL playbook that is scripted to "not go to anyone else". Maybe some freak trick play, and that wasn't one of them, but any play designed is going to have other options, especially one on 4th and Goal on the last play of the game.

I don't buy that one.

Then you obviously don't know what you are talking about. The whole play was to get the ball to Goodson and use Nannee and the TE to go in opposite directions to clear out for Goodson who is going underneath. If that isn't open which it was, then the rest of the play is to improvise and try and find someone. When you are so close to the goaline and people are pressuring you, there isn't time to go to a bunch of options or go through reads. There are 22 people all within 10 yards of one another which is a mob of folks and it is too hard and confusing to make reads. On just about every play that close to the goaline, the play is schematically designed to go to one player or two at the most and everything else is drawn up to draw coverage elsewhere, get a favorable matchup, or draw the attention one direction and do some misdirection. Things get compressed and you try and find a guy by himself or one is who is overlooked. It isn't at all like a play from the 20 or further out. Clearly they could have designed another play, but Cam threw that ball just where he should and it was designed to go there. Nothing else to say really.

[panthers55]

Err... the spot where you see Naanee in that picture is basically the same exact spot where Goodson grabs the pass. Nanee wasn't at the 10. He was at the 5 at that point. Check again. If Nanee wasn't going to get it with that much speed and no one around him, Goodson sure as heck wasn't either with a guy wrapping his arms around him while he's trying to catch the ball.

Also, no one else was on Naanee. The other guy(who was actually Nanee's defender) ended up trying to cover #88 and is to the left of the screen. He was also beat and #88 had the inside route on him and was open for a TD in the endzone. 88 was the third option and you can see him waving his hands in the endzone. The other defender is all the way to the right and has nothing to do with Naanee.

He was actually at the 8 and guys were closing on him. He was only open for a moment but Cam wouldn't have thrown it anyway until he got closer to the goaline. Nannee isn't a running back like Goodson and wasn't going to plow over 2 or 3 guys. Number 25 was closing in on Nannee while 51 was supposed to go out with the tightend. Instead he spotted Goodson and went inside which is why he made the tackle.

As for 88 you might need to post a picture then. What you are showing doesn't show him open at all. Was he waving his hands after the defense collapsed on Goodson or before?? Most of the time guys are wide open because the throw is already made and the defense is collapsing on the guy with the ball while other guys jump and down as if they were open. Plus given we went to him on the play before, you rarely go to the same guy or place on the field given that they are prepared for that.

[PantherFanForLife]

Then you obviously don't know what you are talking about. The whole play was to get the ball to Goodson and use Nannee and the TE to go in opposite directions to clear out for Goodson who is going underneath. If that isn't open which it was, then the rest of the play is to improvise and try and find someone. When you are so close to the goaline and people are pressuring you, there isn't time to go to a bunch of options or go through reads. There are 22 people all within 10 yards of one another which is a mob of folks and it is too hard and confusing to make reads. On just about every play that close to the goaline, the play is schematically designed to go to one player or two at the most and everything else is drawn up to draw coverage elsewhere, get a favorable matchup, or draw the attention one direction and do some misdirection. Things get compressed and you try and find a guy by himself or one is who is overlooked. It isn't at all like a play from the 20 or further out. Clearly they could have designed another play, but Cam threw that ball just where he should and it was designed to go there. Nothing else to say really.

Ok once agian, I understand there was a go to guy for this play, but it's silly to say it was the only viable option, and he had to go to him, when it's pretty obvious it wasn't.

Yes you can see the entire point of the play is to have an open guy in that 5 yard line spot that could at least punch through and get the first down. What is also clearly obvious is that there was already such a guy there prior to the go to guy getting to that spot, as well as another option over the top, that had become better choices as the play unfolded.

The opportunity the play was designed to create was there....twice, in the same exact spot.

[panthers55]

it's not "throw to no one else".

it's get the ball to player X if you can. then look for other options.

your primary read is the one that you get the ball to unless and only unless that option is shut down.

once cam has been in the league a while he can go maverick on play calls like that, but this was his first game in his first season. that's not his call to make.

Plus Goodson was open so Cam went where he was supposed to go. The LB made a great read and play but it wasn't Newton's fault for anything. He did his job, Goodson didn't..

[PantherFanForLife]

He was actually at the 8 and guys were closing on him. He was only open for a moment but Cam wouldn't have thrown it anyway until he got closer to the goaline. Nannee isn't a running back like Goodson and wasn't going to plow over 2 or 3 guys. Number 25 was closing in on Nannee while 51 was supposed to go out with the tightend. Instead he spotted Goodson and went inside which is why he made the tackle.

As for 88 you might need to post a picture then. What you are showing doesn't show him open at all. Was he waving his hands after the defense collapsed on Goodson or before?? Most of the time guys are wide open because the throw is already made and the defense is collapsing on the guy with the ball while other guys jump and down as if they were open.

Just watch the video. The guy covering Naanee took the bait and went towards the corner of the endzone, leaving Naanee open. When that happened the guy covering 88 changed his route and started going for Naanee, leaving 88 open. The guy initially covering Naanee had to come back from the corner to cover 88. The whole time he was coming back, 88 had the inside route on him, both feet inside the endzone.

All of this prior to the pass to Goodson.

[PantherFanForLife]

Plus Goodson was open so Cam went where he was supposed to go. The LB made a great read and play but it wasn't Newton's fault for anything. He did his job, Goodson didn't..

Goodson was open, or barely, yes I give you that. But it makes no sense to pass on two already open guys to wait for Goodson to get open and wait for pressure to pile up on you. You take the first guy to get open that you see in that situation.

You don't pass on that and wait for your go to guy to hopefully get open.

[rayzor]

Goodson was open, or barely, yes I give you that. But it makes no sense to pass on two already open guys to wait for Goodson to get open and wait for pressure to pile up on you. You take the first guy to get open that you see in that situation.

You don't pass on that and wait for your go to guy to hopefully get open.

whether it makes sense to you or not...thats the way it goes.

you don't throw to the guy who might be the most open or be in the best position. you go to the guy you are told to go to unless that option is taken away.

[PantherFanForLife]

whether it makes sense to you or not...thats the way it goes.

you don't throw to the guy who might be the most open or be in the best position. you go to the guy you are told to go to unless that option is taken away.

Uhm, ok. :iagree:

[teeray]

It is your first read. If he is open or you read the defense and in that split second the defense suggests your first read is going to be open then that is where you should go with the ball.

The linebacker made a heck of a read and didn't clear but even his hesitation left Goodsen open. I mean Goodsen had some separation and I'm not sure if the play was designed for Goodsen to get to the marker and then break or come underneath with the hope he would have some space to get another yard up field (I suspect he was supposed get to the marker then break but I have no idea), either way it seems that Cam made the right read but the LB made a good play coming off his man to get Goodsen.

A snapshot never tells the whole story because these guys move so fast that even after a tenth of a second they can cover a ton of ground.

As for Olsen, it is hard to tell the depth from television but it looked to me like even though he had a step on his guy that another Arizona player (not sure who though) was on the inside of Olsen with his eyes in the backfield and may have been able to make a play on the ball if Cam went there. Hard to tell on television if he was close enough, but there was a guy on the inside of Olsen.

One last thing PFFL. If Cam could pause the game and have a snapshot of the coverage it would be an easier game.

The stuff we are debating two days after the game, on a message board, with a snapshot of the coverage, and having a tough time deciphering who is correct... Cam has to make that decision in 2 seconds. Lets keep it in perspective a little bit.

[panthers55]

Ok once agian, I understand there was a go to guy for this play, but it's silly to say it was the only viable option, and he had to go to him, when it's pretty obvious it wasn't.

Yes you can see the entire point of the play is to have an open guy in that 5 yard line spot that could at least punch through and get the first down. What is also clearly obvious is that there was already such a guy there prior to the go to guy getting to that spot, as well as another option over the top, that had become better choices as the play unfolded.

The opportunity the play was designed to create was there....twice, in the same exact spot.

No you are wrong again. The play was for Nannee to go through first and take the defender with him so that when Goodson came behind him it would be open. 25 was already closing on Nannee. Once that guy is gone the only player that could have made the tackle was 51 who was actually not supposed to be there.

[panthers55]

Goodson was open, or barely, yes I give you that. But it makes no sense to pass on two already open guys to wait for Goodson to get open and wait for pressure to pile up on you. You take the first guy to get open that you see in that situation.

You don't pass on that and wait for your go to guy to hopefully get open.

Wrong again. Those first two were not open, guys were coming to cover them. Goodson as a running back is normally picked up by a LB not a DB or safety. As such he has a speed advantage and is a running back who is used to running through tackles. All of this took less than 2 seconds so no Cam wasn't waiting to get piled on. He was just waiting for Nannee to clear the DB so he could throw to Goodson.

But have it your way, you want to be right no matter what and honestly it doesn't matter to me. I was just trying to help shed some light on what was going on and why he threw it where he did, not get into a 20 page arguing match when it is very clear what was happening. Since "winning" the argument is important to you, so be it. You are right. Better??

[PantherFanForLife]

No you are wrong again. The play was for Nannee to go through first and take the defender with him so that when Goodson came behind him it would be open. 25 was already closing on Nannee. Once that guy is gone the only player that could have made the tackle was 51 who was actually not supposed to be there.

But he didn't. And that's precisely my point. The play didn't develop as it was intended. Naanee's defender went far into the endzone instead of following Naanee across, which left Naanee open and left to be covered by Andrel. And when that happened it left 88 open.

So I'm just going to say this and leave it at that. Between Naane, #88 and Goodson, no other defender had a better coverage on their man than Lennon did on Goodson. Lennon had his eye on Goodson from the get go and went straight for him, while the other two guys had to swap targets because of the missed coverage on Naanee, leaving both Panther receivers open with a couple of steps on their man and in a better position to either get a TD, or a first down.

So no, I'm not wrong and you really have to be wearing some rose-colored glasses to look at the video and not see which one of the three were the most open during that play. It's not that hard to see.

Here. Perhaps this will make it a bit more clear:

Goodson is at the 5 yard line with Lennon's arms wrapped around him before the ball even gets there. Naane is at the 4 yard line running a full speed slant. 88 beat his man and has the back of the endzone all to himself.

Which one of the three carolina receivers have the closest coverage? Answer: Goodson. Which is one is furthest from a first down or TD? Answer: Goodson again.

Why is this one so hard?