Cam Newton broke into the NFL with a bang, passing for 400 yards in each of his first two pro games. In all, he threw for over 4,000 yards, rushed for over 500, accounted for 35 total touchdowns and did all this with very little talent on his supporting cast.
The Carolina Panthers finished just 6-10, and the one knock may have been Newton's failure to complete games. He went just 2-6 in games decided by one score or less.
Newton followed it up in '12 with an up-and-down season if there ever was one. He still finished with nearly 4,000 passing yards and 27 more touchdowns. But the Panthers went just 7-9, including 3-7 in games decided by one score or less. That's a .406 winning percentage for Newton as a starter and .278 in games decided by one score or less.
Compare that to Andrew Luck (9-1, .900). What is amazing about Newton, though, is his ability to stay healthy despite running the ball over 125 times per season. He's a touchdown machine in the red zone, having scored 22 times in two seasons, in addition to 40 touchdown passes.
If Newton can stay healthy and continue his production, he's going to be someone this league has never before seen. The key, though, will be staying healthy and completing close games in the fourth quarter.
Grade: A
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