With 8 weeks in the books, it is safe to say that Panther's QB Cam Newton has the NF's most prestigious prize of "Offensive Rookie of the Year" locked up. Or has he? This is the type of no brainer question I love to ask myself when the answer seems so simple. "Ca-yum," as Deion Sanders loves to exclaim, is by far the sexiest pick as he puts up the gaudiest of numbers. But are stats really everything? New York Jets' boisterous Head Coach Rex Ryan always likes to say (paraphrasing), "The most important stat in the league is wins. At the end of the day, I want to lead the league in wins." Now I know this argument is usually reserved for MVP battles, but I think it should hold some credence here as well. For all of the statistics Cam Newton has accumulated, he has only gathered 2 wins to show for it and is not going to be a factor in the playoff push. On the other hand, both QB Andy Dalton and WR AJ Green play on a Bengals team in the middle of a heated playoff race in the AFC. At 5-2, they have a legitimate shot at winning their division and even securing a first round bye and home field advantage for the playoffs.
The Bengals rely on these Dalton and Green to move the offense and allow a very talented defense to rest. Though Green is a very talented wide-out and will be for years to come, he can't really win the ROY award because he has Dalton throwing every TD pass he hauls in. This leaves Andy Dalton, "The Ginger Slinger" as Cam Newton's main competition for Offensive Rookie of the Year. If Dalton can game manage the Bengals deep into the playoffs, I think it would be very hard not to give him the nod for the award. While Cam Newton racks up big numbers during garbage time, Andy Dalton will be methodically moving his team into an opportunity to win meaningful games.
...(Scratching head in frustration)...
As I read back that last paragraph looking for a smooth transition into the grand finale of crowning Andy Dalton this year's top rookie, I realized the fatal flaw in the Dalton/Newton debate. Andy Dalton is a solid game manager; Cam Newton is a game changer. Although wins have evaded Newton, he strikes fear into his opposition's defenses as the top QBs in the league now (Brady, Rodgers, Brees, Vick, P Manning*). He is a faster Ben Roethlisberger. He is a bigger mike Vick with a more accurate arm. He likes throwing the ball deep down field and is the Panther's best goal line back. He also lacks hapy feet. This is the most telling sign of a good young quarterback. Rookie QBs often have trouble adjusting to the speed in the NFL. Imagining multiple 6-5, 300+lb defensive players running at you full speed trying to end your life, it easy to see how a player may get a bit uneasy in the pocket. It is a problem many QBs in the league still deal with on a week to week basis. Not Cam, he does a great job keeping his eyes down field, stepping up when he feels pressure, and fires a bullet. Of course he posses the rare ability to tuck it and run for a huge gainer, or break a what-should-be easy sack and somehow turning a disastrous play into a huge play that can break the will of a defense. A true phenom.
Reading back this time I feel much more comfortable making this transition. You see the icing on the cake is in the numbers. You see, Cam Newton is not putting up good numbers...he is breaking records. He is on pace to eclipse 5,000yds (passing and rushing) with 35 TDs, numbers that put him up there the likes of the Top 5 QBs in the league. Cam Newton is picking up where Mike Vick left off last year, only Cam is build to take a beating unlike Vick. He also posses the leadership qualities you look for in a QB, and has been dealing with adversity for over 3 years now. So even though Andy Dalton may finish with the better record this year...Cam Newton is the one you will be telling your grandkids about.
No comments:
Post a Comment