"Newton's Law" - Cam Newton's Progression into an Elite NFL Quarterback

Charlotte, NC

What a year it's been for Carolina Panthers franchise quarterback Cam Newton. From Gainesville, to Brenham, to Auburn and now Charlotte... Cam Newton has come a long way. The saying, "what a difference a year makes," is an understatement when it comes to Newton. The 26 year old from Atlanta, Georgia was all over the place in 2015, whether it was under his control or not. It's safe to say that he's become the lead athlete and face of Under Armour, alongside Steph Curry and Tom Brady. His swagger and "dabbin," has made it's mark around the world. Now millions are doing it... some think of the movement as a plague, but many (including former Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer and politician Hillary Clinton) love it. He suddenly became one of the most stylish players in professional sports. Individuals that no nothing about him choose to make assumptions and disrespectfully critique the way he handles personal matters. All these things are certain parts of what makes Cam Newton a fascinating person... However, this article is supposed to serve as a quick review of what characteristics make Cam Newton an MVP candidate.

Newton's Law

I. Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.

• Carried Carolina to the playoffs last year after playing through transverse fractures sustained in his lower back after a car accident. Newton has stuck to the same formula this year, rarely leaving the pocket unless it's absolutely necessary. Sure, he's taking some sacks every now and then, but he also keeps the football and runs with it as well. Those factors cause defenses and their coordinators crazy. That's why the solid, matured and fearless quarterback is the captain for the Panthers.

II. The relationship between an object's mass m, its acceleration a, and the applied force F is F = ma. Acceleration and force are vectors (as indicated by their symbols being displayed in slant bold font); in this law the direction of the force vector is the same as the direction of the acceleration vector.

1. 6-5, 245 lbs. Starting Offensive Lineman averaged mesurements: 6-4, 213 lbs (Newton is an inch taller, and 68 lbs lighter).
2. 4.58 secs - 40 yd dash time
3. Can bench press 550 lbs

III. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

• Has the ability to dance out of the pocket, and initiate power plays up the middle like a 3rd down running back.

Statistics

1. Tied for 2nd place in the NFL (with Carson Palmer, Eli Manning & Blake Bortles) for most TDs thrown in the 2015 regular season - 35 TD.
2. Tied for 5th place in the NFL (alongside Todd Gurley) for most rushing TDS - 10 TD.
3. 99.4 QB Rating, 10 INT thrown in 495 pass attempts, 3837 passing yards.
4. Picked up 56 1st downs off rushing attempts (4th in NFL).
5. Does most of his work in the 2nd & 3rd quarters, but also has a tendency to come up flat (just a bit) in the 1st.

Last Word

The Panthers go up against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday (January 17) at 12:05 PM CT, on FOX. All the info above should serve as a nice precursor preview before the game, but it is the playoffs... So anything can happen, regular season stats don't matter anymore. The way Newton consistently attacks the Seahawks defensive scheme throughout 4 quarters, does.