Panthers 7th in yards per offensive play, 28th in Total Offense

[TonyN]

Tony, I agree with a lot of what you said, but what OC in his right mind would let a sophomore QB decide the team will run a read option based offense in the NFL? That doesn't make sense to me.

Cam does need to work on his short/intermediate accuracy. It's not that he isn't accurate, but he's inconsistent and tends to float the ball at times. I think he can get better at it, but I'm not sure he'll ever be elite there when the play isn't called specifically for short routes. He tends to lose accuracy when checking down to closer routes. Could be a lack of confidence in his oline. Could just be a mental thing that will haunt him for some time.

I do think he usually gives the team a chance to win games. I think he could be better if plays were called for shorter/quicker routes with a deep shot every now and then. That's what most of the good teams do. Brees, Brady, Eli, Peyton don't just come out bombing every game. They play a cerebral game that forces the defense to adjust, and then take advantage of the coverages.

I think someone needs to tell him to control the game instead of going for the big play so often.

The decision to go read option was lunacy. Chud has strong roots in the college game and saw it work to a suprising degree last year in Denver, but that does not absolve him from blame for installing it and especially Rivera (and probably Hurney) from going along with it.

[King Taharqa]

I have never said that Newton was a "bum" or a "bust" or compared him to Vince Young.

All I have said is that HE more than anyone else on this team, needs to step up his play.

You've never said anybody else needs to step up their play, including our O line, and our RBs. You claim our coaching staff is doing an excellent job and is being handicapped by our QB. Newton is still our top rusher and has the longest run of the season, our defense while improving still has not closed out a game in 2 years (save for Indy/Curtis Painter last year). I would love to see your wall of text analysis on how the rest of our team can improve. Or let me guess, its fine, its just the QB who's leading us in most categories that needs to step up ONLY?

[TonyN]

This is a combination of the defense not getting off the field on third downs, and garbage yardage.

The Panther defense is currently ranked 18th in opponet 3rd down conversions.

Not spectacular, for sure mediocre, but not horrible, especially for a team with very questionable talent in the secondary.

Garbage yardage??? First Down is Garbage Yardage??? Allow me to beat a very dead horse:

This season the Panthers have attempted a whopping 42% of their passes on 1st down.

They have completed 68% (tremendous) for a stunning 10.33 yards per ATTEMPT!!!

They are the most dangerous first down team in the league..(.they were NOT last year)...

Cam Newton's first down numbers are WAY up this year...a product of installing the read option which creates tremendous uncertainty on first down for opposing defenses...

The problem, though:

On SECOND down they are completing 50% of their passes...

On third down they are completing 49% of their passes...

With all due respect...those are The Golden Calf of Bristol type numbers...

Sooo...if there is an incompletion on first down (egads !!!)

Or a rushing attemtept for a short gain (horrors !!!)

The Panthers are a team that just cannot get it done on SECOND or third and anything resembling long yardage.

The read option was IMHO a bad idea, but blaming all the Panthers offensive woes on it is just absurd.

[TonyN]

You've never said anybody else needs to step up their play, including our O line, and our RBs. You claim our coaching staff is doing an excellent job and is being handicapped by our QB. Newton is still our top rusher and has the longest run of the season, our defense while improving still has not closed out a game in 2 years (save for Indy/Curtis Painter last year). I would love to see your wall of text analysis on how the rest of our team can improve. Or let me guess, its fine, its just the QB who's leading us in most categories that needs to step up ONLY?

I have ONLY stated that the coaching staff has done an excellent job with the defense. I throughly believe this to be true. The Panther secondary is weak talent wise, but the unit as a whole has played well enough to win games for damn sure.

The offensive line is a sore spot, obviously. No one is denying that, but they NOT the worse unit in the league by a long shot. Scrapping the read option and going with more two tight end sets is going to help this team tremendously.

The running backs are fine. They just need to be put in a postion to succeed.

I like our TE and reciever play just fine. Guys are getting open.

It is just a fact of life that the quarterback has the ball. He has to be the one to make it happen. The Panthers are just not getting it done on second and third down passing situations and in the Red Zone. And the responsibility for that is partially coaching, partially poor line play, and YES partially Cam Newton. He just has not played well this year. Period.