Bell Tolls: Cam Newton a clutch closer for Carolina Panthers

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It turns out that what presented itself as perhaps one of the most frantic moments during the Carolina Panthers’ last-minute, make-or-break drive at Seattle last weekend, wasn’t too stressful after all.

Cam Newton had it under control.

“He’s one of those guys who, when all hell is breaking loose, things actually slow down for him,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera told Paste BN Sports this week. “That’s when he’s at his best.”

Rivera went on to describe a snapshot from the 80-yard drive — capped by Newton’s 26-yard seam pass to tight end Greg Olsen — that crystallized the poise that his young quarterback is exhibiting with more regularity as the Panthers (5-0) carry an NFL-best nine-game regular-season winning streak into Sunday night’s clash against Philadelphia.

“Players are running on and off the field,” Rivera said. “I’m listening on the headset as Ken Dorsey (a backup quarterback) is relaying the play-call. It’s loud. The play-clock is ticking…”

Call a timeout?

“Cam looked over and put his hand up like a big stop sign,” Rivera added. “He was like, ‘I got this.’"

No sweat. The finish at Seattle, when Newton directed two 80-yard drives in crunch time to help overcome a 13-point, second-half deficit, was another example of a pattern that Rivera has seen repeatedly. Newton was merely average for much of the game, missing passes as the offense sputtered. But with the game on the line and a chance to win, the quarterback corrected himself and carried his team with him as he took his game to another level.

That’s become such a distinct mark of the Panthers under Rivera.

If they can keep the game close, they have a big-time closer in Newton.

“When he first got here, he relied on his tremendous athletic skills to get him through,” Rivera said. “Now I see him relying on his football acumen. He’s developed into a more complete quarterback. That’s been a neat thing to watch.”

In keeping the Panthers among the ranks of the undefeated, Newton is undeniably on a short list of NFL Most Valuable Player candidates, along with Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, the reigning MVP, and perennial candidate Tom Brady.

If you glance at some of the stats, Newton doesn’t measure up. He’s completing just 55.4% of his passes — 33rd among quarterbacks in a 32-team league — with a pedestrian 83.2 passer rating.

But those numbers pretty much lie about Newton’s impact.

In the fourth quarter of games, Newton joins Dalton, Rodgers and Brady as the only quarterbacks in the NFL who have started every game and not thrown an interception. His fourth quarter passer rating is 103.3.

In other words, he’s at his best when it’s winning time.

Then consider other factors. Newton, who has accounted for 11 of Carolina’s 16 TDs this season (8 passing, 3 rushing), is still as much of a threat to run as a multiple-dimension weapon as ever. And he’s running an offense that lost his best weapon for the season when big-play wideout Kelvin Benjamin suffered a torn ACL in training camp.

Add it all up, and Newton has as compelling a case for MVP as anyone. In his fifth season, he has added layers to all of the potential that was promised when Carolina drafted him No. 1 overall in 2011.

“He’s doing things now that he wouldn’t do before,” Rivera said. “He’s learned to go through his progressions better.”

Continuity has helped. Offensive coordinator Mike Shula has been with Newton throughout his NFL career, and has continued to add tweaks to the scheme built around Newton’s phenomenal skill set – a big arm attached to a big body that can run, and an intense competitive edge. That’s hardly automatic, as Robert Griffin III’s career arc in Washington shows.

One of the crucial plays on the game-winning drive at Seattle, Rivera insists, came on the first play when Newton’s downfield threat was covered as he opted to dump off to running back Jonathan Stewart on a check-down that jump-started the march with an 8-yard gain. Newton hasn’t always shown that type of patience, but his growth has been reflected by such decisions – especially when the games are there to be won.

Sure, he could use Benjamin. But his comfort in the offense has allowed Newton to extract more from the hands on deck.

There are at least three other significant markers of growth:

• Newton is on pace to absorb the fewest sacks of his career, doing a better job of getting the ball of out his hands on time.
• His leadership isn’t being questioned anymore. He was immediately proactive in addressing the team after his unnecessary training camp skirmish with cornerback Josh Norman (who, by the way, is thus far having an all-pro season that includes an NFL-high four interceptions). 
• He’s protecting himself better when running.

In a scheme that features the zone read, Newton (6-5, 245) has rushed 50 times for 225 yards. Through Week 6, he ran more than any quarterback in the NFL – which you’d think would make Rivera a bit nervous when weighing the risk of exposing an MVP candidate to defenders carrying ill will.

Yet Rivera accepts the risk, and is optimistic because Newton is sliding more, running out of bounds more and generally playing smarter in deciding on when to run.

Rivera chuckled when reminded of the summer of 2014, when Newton came off ankle surgery and the coach lamented using him in a preseason game because the quarterback is so wired to be gung-ho.

“I talk to him all the time about being smart,” Rivera said. “And he still says the same thing: ‘Coach, I’m going to do whatever it takes to win.’"

That’s a pledge that Newton is certainly backing up with his action.

Other items of interest, as Week 7 rolls on…

Who’s hot: Devonta Freeman. What a meteoric rise for the Falcons’ powerfully pint-sized running back, who heads into Sunday’s game at Tennessee as the NFL’s leader with 801 yards from scrimmage. Freeman started the season as Tevin Coleman’s backup, but was thrust into the starting lineup at Dallas in Week 3 and is proving just what an impact he can have when opportunity meshes with an improved O-line. He’s brought the running game to life in new coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s system, with three 100-yard games in his four starts. With 505 rushing yards, Freeman is just two yards shy of NFL rushing leader Matt Forte. His explosiveness has added a dimension in the passing game, too. But maybe the most impressive trait exhibited by the second-year pro is his nose for the end zone. With his NFL-high 10 TDs, Freeman is just the seventh player in NFL history — and first since LaDainian Tomlinson (2005) — with 800 yards and 10 TDs in the first six games.

Pressure’s on: Matt Cassel. The Cowboys have flipped the switch for Plan B in their attempt to stay in the NFC East race while Tony Romo mends, turning to Cassel, obtained from Buffalo, to provide the spark that Brandon Weeden didn’t. Look for Dallas to try getting that spark with Cassel gunning for big passing plays, while Weeden played it closer to the vest. With Dallas’ O-line, Cassel will appreciate the time and protection he will receive. Without Dez Bryant, probably at least a week away from returning from his fractured foot, Cassel won’t appreciate the lack of consistency from the other wideouts. Then again, maybe he’ll make the difference that sparks Terrance Williams. Cassel carries the risk for turnovers, but that’s a chance the desperate Cowboys are willing to take while trying to snap a three-game, no-Romo losing streak.

Key matchup: Tom Brady vs. Darrelle Revis. After winning a Super Bowl in his lone, shutdown corner-for-hire season with the Patriots, Revis Island returns to Foxborough in the familiar role of transforming the identity of another defense. The Jets bring the NFL’s top-ranked defense for yards and more importantly for scoring, allowing just 15 points per game, but here comes their stiffest test yet. Brady’s offense fuels the league’s highest scoring clip (36.6 points per game). The chess match between two of the NFL craftiest vets continues a competition that played out on the practice field last year, and Revis’ institutional knowledge of Brady and the Patriots’ system could be a factor. The biggest influence, though, is how Revis’ dependable coverage (he’ll likely draw a lot of Julian Edelman) allows for the creative blitz options that new coach Todd Bowles hangs his hat on. The Jets have collected just eight sacks, but still blitz more than any team in the NFL, aided by the coverage from Revis and Antonio Cromartie. Their chances of disrupting Brady — and perhaps springing an upset — are increased when considering the formidable D-line is matched against a Patriots’ O-line adjusting to the injury losses of left tackle Nate Solder and his replacement, Marcus Cannon.

Next man up: Landry Jones. With Ben Roethlisberger still on the mend and Michael Vick joining him on the injury list, it appears that Jones will make his first NFL start at Kansas City. He was impressive in coming off the bench last week to secure the win against Arizona, finding a connection with Martavis Bryant, but more significantly bolstering the confidence that Pittsburgh can keep surviving without Roethlisberger. Jones had a good summer and is said to have a good grasp of Todd Haley’s offense. But when backup Bruce Gradkowski was lost for the season during the preseason, the Steelers signed Vick as No. 2, wanting veteran experience if needed in a game. Now they are down to the fourth option. The conditions will be much different this week for Jones, as Arrowhead Stadium has traditionally been one of the most difficult venues for a young quarterback, because of the noise. Even so, the Steelers are catching a Chiefs team that has been in a free-fall, and Jones can always hand the ball to Le’Veon Bell, who is poised to supplant Adrian Peterson as the NFL’s best running back.

Rookie watch: Stefon Diggs. Nineteen receivers were drafted before the Vikings snagged the smallish product from Maryland with a fifth-round pick. Now Diggs heads into Detroit as an undeniable draft-day steal. He’s played just two games, but after Week 6 had the third-most receiving yards of any rookie (216), bolstered by a seven-catch, 129-yard outing at Kansas City in his first start. Inactive for Minnesota’s first three games, Diggs was pressed into action due to Charles Johnson’s rib injury, but will apparently continue to line up with the first team even with Johnson’s return. It’s also notable that the Vikings have hit on Diggs while the receiver they invested a 2013 first-round pick in, Cordarrelle Patterson, has struggled to make his mark. The key for Diggs? Veteran Mike Wallace compares Diggs to his former Steelers teammate, all-pro Antonio Brown, because of his ability to separate on his precise routes with shifty moves.

If the playoffs were today… The Eagles would be NFC East champs. While it’s apparent that Chip Kelly’s offense is a work in progress stunted by Sam Bradford’s turnover issues (nine picks, second in the NFL to Peyton Manning), high-priced running back DeMarco Murray has found a rhythm that coincides with more carries, better blocking and more comfort in the oft-horizontal scheme. After logging just 29 carries in his first three games (1.6 average rush), Murray rushed 41 times with a 4.8-yard clip the past two games since returning from a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia defense, led by an active front, has been so opportunistic in producing the second-most takeaways (16) in the NFL. Heading to Carolina at 3-3, the Eagles scored a tie-breaking edge in feasting on the Giants (3-3) last week. Tiebreakers. It could be a huge factor in ultimately determining the crown for the NFL’s most unsettled division race.

Did you notice? While the Bills arrived in London on Monday, the Jaguars didn’t make the trek to Britain until Friday, switching up their overseas routine with hopes of getting different results. Going early in the week surely didn’t pay off the past two years, when the Jags were outscored by a combined 73-27 in losses to Dallas and San Francisco. This time they had their practice week at home. If the NFL ever puts a team in London — and the Jags are the closest thing yet, having signed up for multiple games in the UK — there are some who believe it might be most prudent to base the team on the East Coast and have it shuttle overseas for home games. Maybe that concept will gain steam if the Jags pull off a major upset (Cheerio, mate!) in what will be the NFL’s first game to be live-streamed, via Yahoo.

Stat’s the fact: Philip Rivers leads the Chargers into battle against the Raiders with a streak of three consecutive 350-yard games, including his franchise-record 503-yard outing last weekend at Green Bay. What does he do for an encore? Rivers can aim to surpass the standard set by Tom Brady for most passing yards in the outing after posting a 500-yard game. In 2011, Brady passed for 423 yards against … the Chargers.

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