![]() ![]() Now you’re talking about a scenario where Newton could easily be that guy, and thrive on 3rd-and-short situations - just as he did for the bulk of his NFL career. Hell, the biggest blow to the Browns offense this year was the loss of Nick Chubb, taking away their interior run game and ability to punch in short-yardage situations. The pieces are all here to make this really work, and to cap it off Newton has always been a part of run-first teams that punctuate gains on the ground with deep, gash-like passing. Njoku has similar field-stretching ability at tight end to Greg Olsen. Elijah Moore is a scrappy, smaller receiver on the outside like a poor man’s D.J. Amari Cooper is a vastly superior burner to Ted Ginn Jr, who Newton used to great effect. If you look at the players Newton has thrived with in the past they all fit the personnel the Browns have right now. This season David Njoku’s role has morphed to being more of a short-yardage YAC tight end, but traditionally he’s been a deep threat as well. Amari Cooper has a stunning Average Depth of Target (ADOT) of 15.2 yards, while Elijah Moore has an 8.8 ADOT. This team wants to gain yards in massive chunks through the air. Walker at 8.1 IAY and Dorian Thompson-Robinson at 8.5 IAY. Browns quarterbacks are consistently throwing deeper than anyone in the NFL right now, with Watson sitting at 9.2 IAY, with P.J. We saw this play out when Stefanski was offensive coordinator with the Vikings in 2019, where Kirk Cousins had an average IAY of 7.8, and we’re especially seeing it now in Cleveland in 2023. Their variant of the offense Stefanski runs has the same rhythm passing roots, but critically alters the depth of target to be further downfield. On paper the Browns run a West Coast offense, but it’s not really. Matt Rhule had no business coaching an NFL team, there was no consistent vision for the offense, and Newton walked in to a spot where his face was there to market the team, not win football games. Newton’s second stint with the Panthers was nothing more than a shameless attempt to sell tickets when fan enthusiasm was at its lowest. Essentially they got “Bad Cam,” not because of play, but design. Making him a short-yardage QB destroyed any chance of success, and Newton’s IAY in New England was 6.8. The Patriots wanted a completely different quarterback. In his 2015 MVP season Newton had an 8.7 IAY, and it’s what took Carolina to the Super Bowl. ![]() Cam’s magic number here is 7.5, and in seasons where his Intended Air Yards (IAY) exceed that mark the Panthers thrived. His skill at a quarterback is standing tall in the pocket, improvising, and finding deep completions. Throughout Newton’s career there’s been a direct correlation between success and passing. There was nothing compatible between a Josh McDaniels/Bill Belichick offense which runs off accurate, short-range, rhythm West Coast passing, and Newton’s cannon-armed Air Coryell sensibilities. Newton signed in New England not because it was the right fit, but because it was the only fit available. Truth be told, both those scenarios were terrible for him. This is an extremely different situation he’d be stepping into. The knee jerk reaction to mentioning Newton is to point out his struggles on both the Patriots, and his short-term return to the Panthers in 2021. Cam Newton really could be the answer the Browns need to not just salvage their season, but save it in a way previously thought impossible. ![]() This is a lot more than seeing a round hole and trying to jam a random block into it, whether it fits or not. Photo by Dannie Walls/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Analyzing these mistakes is important, but it doesn’t solve the reality the Browns face if they soldier on without trying to make this bad situation better.Īt moments like this there’s a decision to make: Stay scared and play for next season, or try to find a hero - and when things are this bleak you don’t just need any hero, you need Superman. Cleveland also didn’t make a move to trade for another QB ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline, despite Watson being on shaky ground injury wise. Now he’s become the emergency star for the Vikings. The team traded Joshua Dobbs to the Cardinals for peanuts before their season began, thinking their quarterback room was too stacked. Much will be made of the decision making up to this point. Walker and get bounced immediately - but the team has something special on defense that’s worth salvaging and seeing how far they can run. Sure, they could limp into the postseason with P.J. ![]() With news that Deshaun Watson is done for the season and requires shoulder surgery it fundamentally pulls the plug on any decent playoff run for the Browns this season if they stand pat. There’s no sugar coating the disaster that’s unfolding for Cleveland right now. ![]()
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