Cam Newton was supposed to come in and be the savior for the Carolina Panthers.
Instead, the team is now 5-8 after a third consecutive loss.
The latest defeat came at home against the Atlanta Falcons in a game that saw Newton get benched once again in favor of P.J. Walker.
Both quarterbacks had an interception, and Newton’s was even returned for a touchdown.
The same scenario took place back in Week 12 when Newton was benched for Walker in a loss.
That 33-10 debacle against the Miami Dolphins led to offensive coordinator Joe Brady losing his job.
Head coach Matt Rhule may now be on the hot seat and he is using a unique approach at quarterback to finish the season.
Matt Rhule says will continue to play both Cam Newton and P.J. Walker. Adds Sam Darnold is still a couple weeks away from being healthy/ready.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 13, 2021
So while Newton was benched, Rhule is saying it’s all part of a plan to have a platoon approach at quarterback.
In the NFL, that is bad news for any team.
Who Is The Leader On Offense?
Alternating quarterbacks is not something good teams do.
It disrupts the flow of the offense and proves that neither option is good enough to be the starter.
Cam Newton is now on the sidelines as P.J. Walker comes in at QB for the Panthers. pic.twitter.com/AhUKFLiwSI
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 12, 2021
That is why it is interesting to see Rhule mention the health of Sam Darnold.
The Panthers have four games remaining this season and are paying Newton several million dollars in guaranteed money.
Could the veteran and Walker be relegated to the bench in favor of Darnold at the end of the year?
There is no clear direction in place and that is bad for the entire team.
Rhule should just pick one quarterback because the Panthers have to face the Buffalo Bills, the New Orleans Saints, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers twice to finish the season.
Constantly switching quarterbacks like it is high school is not going to lead to much success, and it’s not like the two options are drastically different players who will keep opposing defenses on edge.
Leave a Reply