The Kyle Allen Conundrum: What Happens When Newton’s Healthy
With Cam Newton still injured and Kyle Allen winning games behind center, the question remains: what should happen when Newton gets healthy?
The Carolina Panthers are on a four-game winning streak. Cam Newton has been completely absent in those four games, and Kyle Allen has been the starter since the first win, a 38-20 win on the road versus Arizona.
The former no. 1 high school recruit in the country been solid in his four games thus far as the Panthers’ quarterback. He’s completed 80 of his 122 pass attempts for 901 yards with seven touchdowns and no picks, but he’s been sacked 10 times for a loss of 89 yards. Before getting sidelined for the Cardinals game onward, Newton completed 50 of his 89 pass attempts for 572 yards with one pick and no scores.
With Allen doing well in Newton’s relief and Newton’s performances hindered by nagging injuries, the question still lingers: Once Cam Newton’s healthy again, who will be the Carolina Panthers’ starting quarterback?
The Case for Cam
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The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner has been the face of the Queen City’s football franchise since he was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. When it comes to dual-threat quarterbacks, the 2011 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year has been the gold standard despite up and down seasons for the Panthers as a whole.
The explosiveness of Newton as a runner makes it more difficult to prepare for Carolina’s offense even if Newton’s tendencies to run have taken a dip as the tread on the proverbial tires have worn over the years. The talent that won Newton an MVP in 2015 is still there, and with talented players like Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, and Curtis Samuel around him, a healthy Newton can take the Panthers to great heights.
The 2015 NFL MVP should be the one to start once he’s back to 100 percent. That conclusion should be common sense considering, in the grand scheme of things, Newton never truly lost his starting job. Why should a top-tier quarterback need to worry about his job when he’s back to full strength?
The Case for Kyle
The fact of the matter is that Allen is winning games for the Panthers. The offense seems to be working well with the Houston product under center. Carolina’s momentum is trending in the right direction, and with the level of competition ahead of them, the Panthers can’t afford to stir the pot even further.
Allen isn’t exactly an Aaron Rodgers or a Dak Prescott in terms of ceiling, but he fits well with Norv Turner’s scheme, and it’s gotten results. In a similar school of thought in the case for Newton, if Allen’s still undefeated once Cam’s healthy, Allen shouldn’t have done anything for him to lose the job back to Newton. The reality of the matter is that this offense is Allen’s, and it should take a monumental shift in play for Newton to automatically be put back in that role with Allen performing well.
The Reality
The Panthers need to focus on the here and now. As of this writing, Newton is still out, and the focus during the bye week should be on continuing to win with Allen at the helm and an incredibly potent San Francisco team to face on the west coast in less than two weeks.
As for Newton, his focus needs to be on getting back into NFL shape. He’s been banged up too many times to take a chance on coming back early. Charlotte will welcome him back with open arms once it’s time for him to return, but in the meantime, the Panthers are lucky enough to have a competent backup filling in while he’s recuperating.