Seahawks have to keep Cam Newton throwing to win
The Seahawks face another tough challenge in Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. It may seem odd, but they need to keep him throwing.
I’m not even going to say what the Seahawks outcome needs to be in this game. We all know, right? The other day I wrote that the Panthers don’t exactly go as Christian McCaffrey goes, the same can’t be said for Carolina quarterback Cam Newton. He’s well known for being one of the league’s most dangerous running signal callers. You may not realize just how important it is for Seattle to keep him from running.
I’m not talking about Newton running for 100 yards, as he’s done three times in his career. For the record, the Panthers went 2-0-1 in those contests. The Panthers have a surprisingly good record when Newton runs at least 10 times per game, regardless of his yardage. The Seahawks would be wise to keep this in mind.
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Over his career Newton has run at least 10 times in 32 games. The Panthers record in those contests is 24-7-1. That’s a .765 winning percentage, an average of 12 wins per season. Since Newton joined Carolina as a rookie in 2011, their overall record is 70-51-1. That’s a .578 winning percentage, or a nine win season. That’s the difference between a playoff team and an also-ran. Well, usually.
Seahawks have to keep Newton from running, period
Again, the yardage simply wasn’t as important as the simple fact Newton was running. In his only his second game, Newton ran 10 times for 53 yards and a score. Despite the good average and the touchdown, the Panthers lost. It’s worth noting that he also threw 46 times for over 400 yards in the loss. We’ll get to his passing, trust me.
Newton has several games where he averaged less than four yards per carry, yet won. He did that just three weeks ago, beating Tampa Bay despite a 3.00 yard average on the ground. He also threw just 25 passes for 247 yards. We’ll get to the passing. Keep in mind, when he runs at least 10 times the Panthers are a 12 win team.
Did I mention passing? Oh, yeah. Here’s another surprise. When Newton passes at least 30 times, his team is 31-36-1, a winning percentage of just .463, or seven wins per season. When he throws for over 250 yards, the Panthers are 21-18-1 for a .538 winning percentage. That rounds up to nine wins per season.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but the Seahawks chances of beating the Panthers are much, much better if he’s throwing the ball, not running. When he runs at least 10 times, they’re a playoff team. If Newton throws for over 250 yards – and that’s a pretty low threshold – they’re a maybe yes, maybe no nine win team. Get the ball in the air at least 30 times and they’re an also-ran.
light. Related Story. Most of us see a Seahawks win in Carolina
If you needed any more convincing, the Seahawks defense is ranked 11th in passing yards allowed and 17th in yards allowed on the ground. Seattle has faced most of the league’s best runners so that may be skewed a bit. Regardless, the Hawks will be better served by keeping Newton in the air, rather than on the ground.