# NFL Week 1 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 8, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358 "2016-09-08T19:13:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/21 "2016-09-09T11:50:22Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > Then explain the personal foul on #68 for Carolina. It wasn’t a late hit, because he was the first Panther to touch the Denver player who intercepted the pass. And it couldn’t have been unnecessary roughness, because he did his best to roll over the guy, even though a Denver player was tackling him. The defender with the ball had given himself up, just like when a QB slides. When a defensive player (or offensive one for that matter) lays down and makes no attempt to advance the ball, the play is dead. It’s not a free chance to get a 10 yard run up and launch yourself at a prone, defenseless player. It was a no-brainer of a call. ---
**Author:** ![cg16](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@cg16](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cg16)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/22 "2016-09-09T11:56:57Z")
Take away the running lanes from Cam and he is trash ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/23 "2016-09-09T12:20:02Z")
> [@cg16](#): > > Take away the running lanes from Cam and he is trash Yeah, just like Usain Bolt. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/24 "2016-09-09T12:33:32Z")
> [@cg16](#): > > Take away the running lanes from Cam and he is trash Oh look bad sports opinions on the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/25 "2016-09-09T12:57:04Z")
So after waking up and checking my twitter feed and the SDMB… we have Denver headhunting and getting away with it, the NFL blowing its own concussion process, and bad Cam Newton takes. I guess the script-writers couldn’t come up with anything original for the new season after all. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/26 "2016-09-09T14:21:53Z")
Don’t really get it. I watched the game and didn’t see any head-to-head targeting on Cam. There was one hit by Von Miller when he came in late on a sack, but he was coming in bolt upright. It was head-to-head, but totally incidental. I did miss the last ten minutes of the broadcast because my DVR cut off, so maybe there were more hits in there. > [@Hamlet](#): > > Personally, I think Cam is going to regress quite a bit this year. > > … > > Carolina has the 12th most difficult schedule this year. They’ll have to face some pretty good (presumptively) defenses this year, including the Broncos/Chiefs/Vikings/Cards. He’ll still get to feast on the the Bucs, Falcons and Chargers, but I think it will be a tougher year for him this year. I think he’ll go back to what he usually is: 3400 yards, 20 td’s, mid 80’s passer rating and be in the 7th -12th highest rated QB. I don’t see any reason to expect regression. Last year’s numbers were actually almost identical to his career averages. The only number that went up substantially was TD passes; previously, his high was 24, and it’s not as though 35 is an earth-shattering number. There were five QBs who threw that many or more last season. He also scored a couple more rushing TDs than normal, but oddly his yards per carry were down - under 5.2 for the first time in his career. Really, the only reason to expect regression is that his TD numbers were up because of regular short fields (thanks to the defense leading the league in takeaways). But did the defense actually lose anyone other than Josh Norman? They looked pretty good last night. > [@cg16](#): > > Take away the running lanes from Cam and he is trash What the fuck does this even mean? Newton is, if not a great passer, a very good one. If he didn’t run the ball ~125 times a season, he would be throwing for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns every year (by way of comparison, Peyton Manning had thrown for 30 TDs just once in his first six seasons, before going absolutely nuts in 2004). He is top 20 in career yards per attempt. Really, his only problem is accuracy, and I doubt any quarterback in the league other than Tom Brady would average over 60% completions with the crappy receivers he’s played with. The fact that he threw for 4,000 yards as a rookie is otherworldly. It’s one of the most impressive accomplishments in the NFL in my lifetime. As a Buccaneers fan, I hate Cam. Despise him. But the man is an incredible NFL QB. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/27 "2016-09-09T14:36:17Z")
Yeah, downgrading Cam (or any QB) based on his performances against the Denver defense is a bad idea. This defense is one of the best in years - maybe the best since the 2000 Ravens. Let’s see how he does against an average defense before calling him “trash” and saying that “passing is not one of Cam’s strength(s)”. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/28 "2016-09-09T14:40:57Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I don’t see any reason to expect regression. Last year’s numbers were actually almost identical to his career averages. The only number that went up substantially was TD passes; previously, his high was 24, and it’s not as though 35 is an earth-shattering number. There were five QBs who threw that many or more last season. He also scored a couple more rushing TDs than normal, but oddly his yards per carry were down - under 5.2 for the first time in his career. His TD numbers and yardage were up from his prior two years, which put him statistically on par with his rookie and sophomore years. The thing is he to those numbers while throwing less interceptions and being much more efficient (last year was the first time his passer rating was above 90, and it was just shy of 100 at 99.4). Last year he got the stats, but was also more efficient and he racked up the TD numbers. I think that efficiency, and his yardage/touchdown numbers, are going to regress back to 2014 and 2013 standards rather than his rookie year. But I do think you have a point. It was the TD’s, the team record, and the bias of giving the MVP to QB’s that got him him MVP last year, not his raw stats. > [@RNATB](#): > > Really, the only reason to expect regression is that his TD numbers were up because of regular short fields (thanks to the defense leading the league in takeaways). But did the defense actually lose anyone other than Josh Norman? They looked pretty good last night. The defense got the offense three turnovers, including two picks of a rookie QB, and the Panthers couldn’t put up more than 20 points. The way the Panthers win will be the old defense and running the ball. When they need to rely on Cam to throw them to victory against good defense, I think they’ll run into trouble. > [@RNATB](#): > > As a Buccaneers fan, I hate Cam. Despise him. But the man is an incredible NFL QB. He’s a great NFL QB for the Panther’s system. However, as a NFL passer, I think he has a great deal more work to do. Even his highly touted rookie year, he was pretty much on par with Ryan Fitzpatrick’s year last year. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/29 "2016-09-09T14:42:49Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > Yeah, downgrading Cam (or any QB) based on his performances against the Denver defense is a bad idea. How about grading him based on his performance against the Saints defense. Or the Giants defense? Or the Bucs defense? Same problem. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/30 "2016-09-09T16:02:38Z")
Cam had his bell rung several times, and you could see the difference each time, even after the leg injury. He had less confidence and touch in throwing, and it took him a while to get it back. (He may well have been a little fuzzy after those helmet-to-helmet hits). ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/31 "2016-09-09T17:25:58Z")
> [@cg16](#): > > refs doing everything they can to help denver win this game. Seriously, I thought the NBA season had started already for a minute there. Was it just me imagining things, or did the head referee have the most disgusted and annoyed expression when he had to announce the challenge was upheld (taking away a Denver first down on the one), and when he announced no offensive pass interference against Carolina on the next drive? > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Don’t really get it. I watched the game and didn’t see any head-to-head targeting on Cam. There was one hit by Von Miller when he came in late on a sack, but he was coming in bolt upright. It was head-to-head, but totally incidental. I did miss the last ten minutes of the broadcast because my DVR cut off, so maybe there were more hits in there. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing in the NFL rulebook about whether helmet to helmet contact is ‘targeted’ or not. It’s the defender’s responsibility to avoid it (at least, it’s always called that way when, say, Peyton Manning is the recipient). If you need a good example of one that did happen, look at the second half, on the play when Newton completed a pass but Carolina’s lineman was called for a facemask. ---
**Author:** ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/32 "2016-09-09T17:33:18Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Was it just me imagining things, or did the head referee have the most disgusted and annoyed expression when he had to announce the challenge was upheld (taking away a Denver first down on the one), and when he announced no offensive pass interference against Carolina on the next drive? Gene Steratore was clearly annoyed at his crew blowing those 2 calls. Your crew blowing calls can get you downgraded, which might mean you don’t get to work the playoffs, which is a lot less money for them. So it makes sense he was annoyed with them. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/33 "2016-09-09T18:53:03Z")
> [@Stringer](#): > > Gene Steratore was clearly annoyed at his crew blowing those 2 calls. Your crew blowing calls can get you downgraded, which might mean you don’t get to work the playoffs, which is a lot less money for them. So it makes sense he was annoyed with them. You know, that’s a very good point. That is a good (in both senses) reason for him to be annoyed at both those points (though still somewhat unprofessional to let it show). Now, if there’s a good reason for the Panthers getting penalized four times as much, and all the ignored helmet to helmet hits… ---
**Author:** ![cg16](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@cg16](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cg16)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/34 "2016-09-09T19:33:47Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Don’t really get it. I watched the game and didn’t see any head-to-head targeting on Cam. There was one hit by Von Miller when he came in late on a sack, but he was coming in bolt upright. It was head-to-head, but totally incidental. I did miss the last ten minutes of the broadcast because my DVR cut off, so maybe there were more hits in there. > > I don’t see any reason to expect regression. Last year’s numbers were actually almost identical to his career averages. The only number that went up substantially was TD passes; previously, his high was 24, and it’s not as though 35 is an earth-shattering number. There were five QBs who threw that many or more last season. He also scored a couple more rushing TDs than normal, but oddly his yards per carry were down - under 5.2 for the first time in his career. > > Really, the only reason to expect regression is that his TD numbers were up because of regular short fields (thanks to the defense leading the league in takeaways). But did the defense actually lose anyone other than Josh Norman? They looked pretty good last night. > > What the fuck does this even mean? Newton is, if not a great passer, a very good one. If he didn’t run the ball ~125 times a season, he would be throwing for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns every year (by way of comparison, Peyton Manning had thrown for 30 TDs just once in his first six seasons, before going absolutely nuts in 2004). He is top 20 in career yards per attempt. Really, his only problem is accuracy, and I doubt any quarterback in the league other than Tom Brady would average over 60% completions with the crappy receivers he’s played with. The fact that he threw for 4,000 yards as a rookie is otherworldly. It’s one of the most impressive accomplishments in the NFL in my lifetime. > > As a Buccaneers fan, I hate Cam. Despise him. But the man is an incredible NFL QB. It means that when he has no where to run he is not much of a threat when passing from the pocket. if he was then the Panthers would be 1-0 as I type this message. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/35 "2016-09-09T21:28:39Z")
[God damn, guys](http://imgur.com/Mn1z9Ld?r). I thought you weren’t supposed to be able to hit QBs like that. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/36 "2016-09-09T22:21:56Z")
Two of those hits were illegal and should have been flagged, but the league would, so far, tolerate the first one because it was face to face. They _could_ make all helmet hits illegal, but they worry that that would take too much away from the game. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/37 "2016-09-09T23:51:01Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > [God damn, guys](http://imgur.com/Mn1z9Ld?r). I thought you weren’t supposed to be able to hit QBs like that. Yeah, it looks like at least two of those were clearly headhunting. I thought you weren’t supposed to be able to hit _anybody_ like that. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/38 "2016-09-10T01:22:37Z")
Sadly, it looks like former Bengals head coach Sam Wyche is in dire need of a heart transplant. “You don’t live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati!” ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/39 "2016-09-10T01:48:00Z")
It’s too bad. Cleveland has amazing hospitals with good cardiac units. But he can’t partake. Also I consider that statement of his as a point of pride. “SIT DOWN AND BE BORING, HEAD BAGGERS” ---
**Author:** ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358/40 "2016-09-10T02:00:08Z")
> [@cg16](#): > > It means that when he has no where to run he is not much of a threat when passing from the pocket. if he was then the Panthers would be 1-0 as I type this message. I can’t believe Cam shanked that kick too! What a clown. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1/765358.md?page=3)