Cam Newton Tells Panthers to "Get on His Level"

[OnlyOneBeerLeft]

But he is the only one openly criticizing his teammates as a rookie, suggesting he is on a different level than them.

If you're gonna talk big game, you are gonna get called on your mistakes.

He has the right to do it, his team backs him up. You're in the minority on this discussion clearly looking at this thread. Your opinion is your opinion, and normally a rookie saying this would be something that turns out to be a huge problem. But when the CLEAR leader of the team (Steve Smith) and the Head Coach are both saying that they are with Cam and agree with what he said then it makes it a different situation. He calls himself out on his mistakes, he knows that he's fucked up, too. He is harder on himself than any other player in the NFL, he despises losing, he hates making mistakes, he hates how he is playing. He's going to set an all time rookie record in passing yardage and total TD's by a rookie and he STILL is extremely critical of himself.

[NAHSTE]

He's going to set an all time rookie record in passing yardage and total TD's by a rookie and he STILL is extremely critical of himself.

Garbage time and anti-defense rules are wonderful things for a player's stat line.

[ram29jackson]

calm down you band wagon jumpers, he's just a rookie with a big mouth for now.


that said..with Cam, Tebow and now Griffin, possibly... a new breed of QB is emerging

[Sportsbuck]

Garbage time and anti-defense rules are wonderful things for a player's stat line.

The anti-defense rules are a valid point, but I fail to see how garbage time is a big factor in him putting up his statline.

Panthers have played in a lot of close games this year, and Cam's play in garbage time hasn't really affected his stats all that much.

[Houston]

Oh noes, Cam threw interceptions as a rookie, he's the reason.

If during the week you call yourself a lion, all "he's a rookie" defense goes out IMO. Lions are the king of the jungle, don't compare yourself to them and then come out playing like a timid panther.

“What happens when you take a lion out of the safari and try to take him to your place of residence and make him a house pet? ... It ain’t going to happen,”

The below 50 completion percentage and 2 interceptions would suggest otherwise.

[BrntO4Life]

He's going to set an all time rookie record in passing yardage and total TD's by a rookie and he STILL is extremely critical of himself.

That's because he knows, deep down, that he's a part of the problem. 19 total turnovers, as well as a 13:14 TD:INT ratio, don't cut it son.

It's my belief that if you're going to call people out, you better be perfect.

[Tailback U]

He didn't call anyone out. He's basically saying, "I don't tolerate losing and nobody else should, either. I'm trying to change the culture around here."

He could have worded it a little better but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt since he's said all the right things so far. I'd have liked to have heard the interview, too, for better context.

[DSpydr84]

I don't like those quotes.

Newton is the belle of the ball right now, but the fact remains that he is a results business, and the team has 4 wins. He's a rookie this year, so he gets a pass for that, everyone is happy to just see him play well, but if they're 4-8 again next year, as the QB, he better be ready to hear the critics. And when he does, 'well, my teammates aren't on my level' isn't going to fly as an excuse.

I've always liked when players do this stuff. Something like when Tom Brady told Robert Kraft that it was "the best decision he's ever made" picking him in the 6th round. Or Peyton Manning at the combine interview saying "if you don't pick me, I'm gonna kick your ass for the next 15 years".

All the great players have that competitive edge; where second best is just not acceptable. And when players aren't picking up the slack, he's not afraid to get in their face and basically say "dude, what the fuck are you doing?"

Your leader has to be like that.. rookie or not, productive or not. That's how I see it anyway.

[ralaw]

I've always liked when players do this stuff. Something like when Tom Brady told Robert Kraft that it was "the best decision he's ever made" picking him in the 6th round. Or Peyton Manning at the combine interview saying "if you don't pick me, I'm gonna kick your ass for the next 15 years".

All the great players have that competitive edge; where second best is just not acceptable. And when players aren't picking up the slack, he's not afraid to get in their face and basically say "dude, what the fuck are you doing?"

Your leader has to be like that.. rookie or not, productive or not. That's how I see it anyway.

I agree with you 100%, but both Manning and Brady also said it behind the scenes and it really didn't come out until they were already elite NFL QB's leading elite teams. I am actually a fan of Cam Newton and I hope he continues to improve and succeed, but you have to be careful with "calling out" guys through the media.........hopefully he made these sorts of comments in the locker room beforehand.

Generally, when you're young, learning and still making mistakes you can still be a leader, but in a more "follow what I do, not what I say" way.

[Houston]

I've always liked when players do this stuff. Something like when Tom Brady told Robert Kraft that it was "the best decision he's ever made" picking him in the 6th round. Or Peyton Manning at the combine interview saying "if you don't pick me, I'm gonna kick your ass for the next 15 years".

Except Tom Brady and Peyton Manning never went to the media and said that their team needed to get on their level. It makes him sound more of a selfish player then a team one.

All the great players have that competitive edge; where second best is just not acceptable. And when players aren't picking up the slack, he's not afraid to get in their face and basically say "dude, what the fuck are you doing?"

"great players" especially QB's don't go out and score 0 points in the 2nd half.

If Tim Tebow can score 10 points in the final minutes, with an irrelevant Willis McGahee and some no name WRs. Then surely the lion that is Cam Newton should be able to score just once with DeAngelo Williams and Steve Smith....no?

[DSpydr84]

"great players" especially QB's don't go out and score 0 points in the 2nd half.

If Tim Tebow can score 10 points in the final minutes, with an irrelevant Willis McGahee and some no name WRs. Then surely the lion that is Cam Newton should be able to score just once with DeAngelo Williams and Steve Smith....no?

I think just in terms of getting his teammates to think and act like winners. Obviously he didn't perform last night, and that's a big part of it long-term, but I guess what I'm saying is if some of the Panthers are just there to collect a paycheck, Newton is right in calling them out on it because he doesn't want to just coast through his career.

I don't know the actual dynamic, and it's hard to believe a guy that works so hard to make it to the pros would actually do that, but it's a very real possibility. Cam doesn't like the team's general attitude, so he's trying to fix it. I respect that.