Newton on loss: All fingers ‘pointing again to me’
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton mentioned his surgically repaired shoulder and lately injured foot had been to not blame for his poor efficiency Thursday evening, however he did take the blame for his crew’s 20-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“By my lens, it is exhausting to look defensive guys within the eyes after a recreation like this,” mentioned Newton, who accomplished 25 of 51 cross makes an attempt for 333 yards and no touchdowns because the Panthers fell to Zero-2 for the primary time since 2013. “Offensively, we did not maintain up our finish of the discount.
“All fingers are simply pointing again to me particularly on offense.”
Newton had 15 off-target throws — 10 that had been overthrown, 5 underthrown — essentially the most since Chicago’s Mitchell Trubisky in Week 7 final season and the second most in a recreation for the 2015 NFL MVP’s profession, in response to ESPN Stats & Data analysis.
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In two video games, Newton has accomplished solely 61% of his passes to receivers with Three-plus yards of separation, the second-worst proportion within the NFL and down from his 86% final season.
Newton particularly towards the Bucs was unhealthy with strain. He was Zero-for-10 when below duress, with three sacks. That was essentially the most such passes he has had in his profession and not using a completion.
“I’ve to be higher,” Newton mentioned. “It doesn’t matter what bodily situation I am in. It doesn’t matter what foot, shoulder … I did not get the job accomplished, and it is irritating. I want I may say one thing aside from that, however that is the very fact. I am a brutally sincere individual with folks, and I am a brutally sincere individual with myself. And it is time for me to look myself within the mirror and do some actual soul-searching, as a result of I had alternatives tonight and I did not get it accomplished.”
Newton in January underwent shoulder surgical procedure for the second time in three offseasons. He did not throw most of this offseason, however he wasn’t restricted in coaching camp aside from deliberate break day.
Nonetheless, Newton’s arm power got here below scrutiny after the opener, a 30-27 dwelling loss to the Los Angeles Rams, as a result of Newton had just one cross try longer than 20 yards and did not have a completion longer than 17.
He vowed earlier within the week that the deep ball remained part of his arsenal, and he seemingly proved it early Thursday evening, finishing a 44-yard cross to Curtis Samuel that traveled 38 yards within the air.
That was Newton’s longest completion by yards within the air for the reason that final recreation of the 2017 season, in response to ESPN Stats & Data knowledge.
However on throws of 15 yards downfield this season, Newton is Four-for-15 (27%) with no touchdowns. He has 5 interceptions on these balls in his previous eight begins, all of which had been losses — six straight defeats earlier than being shut down for the ultimate two video games final season and two consecutive losses to open this season.
“We’re making one thing that appears to be easy tougher than it’s,” Newton mentioned. “I do not know what it’s. I have never tasted a win in so lengthy, and I am not going to make it private about me.
“It is time for us to just accept accountability, which I’m, and transfer ahead.”
It isn’t simply his throwing that has been a problem. Newton, who has extra speeding yards than any quarterback within the league since he was drafted No. 1 in 2011, hasn’t been a menace out of the read-option that he has run most of his profession.
In two video games, he has 5 carries for minus-2 yards. He had two carries for no yards towards Tampa Bay.
On two fourth-and-1 performs on which Newton was near computerized with the quarterback sneak, he threw an incompletion and was a decoy for operating again Christian McCaffrey within the Wildcat formation with the sport on the road on the Tampa Bay 2-yard line with 1:21 left.
With Newton not a menace to run, the Bucs stacked the entrance to cease McCaffrey, who was restricted to 53 complete yards after having 209 within the opener.
“I do not know,” Newton mentioned when requested why his quantity shouldn’t be being referred to as in these conditions. “I am unable to reply that query.”
Newton did not blame offensive coordinator Norv Turner for the playcalling, insisting it is as much as him to execute no matter is known as.
“I say it on a regular basis,” Newton mentioned. “Typically, you end up in a blender, and the one individual that may get your self out is your self.”