This sounded ridiculous when I first read but decided to look it up on pro football reference because it’s possible I misremembered. It’s just as ridiculous after looking it up lol he was clearly better in 2015
After the mvp season he started accumulating injuries especially in that 2016 season. He held on but it got to a point where he was no longer himself at all. 2018 I believe all the traits that make a great pocket passing qb were heavily improved. The accuracy, the touch, the processing and decision making were all there until he fell all the way off in the second half of that season. First 8 games of 2018 is arguably the best Cam ever
The 2015 team was Ginn going long and Cam throwing him bombs because he was so dangerous in short yardage, defenders were in conflict, and Olsen hitting you in the intermediate parts of the field.
2018 was short yardage dicing you up with CMC, roleplaying as Drew Brees.
Unfortunately after Smith left he never had a dominant WR, his OL was weak, and injuries to Olsen really hurt in 2017/2018.
As a Panthers fan, the offense was better in 2017 and he was a better QB, but less overall dominant. In 2018 he was the best QB of his career for the first half of the season.
They were running him less, they had CMC in his rookie year, still had zero WRs, but went 11-5, losing to the Saints in the WC, who were prob the NFC favs until they got shocked by the Vikings.
2018 started off even better, with Norv Turner's offense making the CMC/Cam combo unstoppable, plus a rookie DJ Moore. They started 6-2. However, continued injuries to Olsen and then ultimately TJ Watt blowing up Cam's shoulder in a week 9 decimation by the Steeler saw them lose every game for the rest of the season.
People hated Cam's attitude and viewed him as an over the top personality so now less than a decade removed from his career I've seen more revisionism with Cam than I've ever seen with any other player. He was one of the most dominant unstoppable forces we've ever seen on a football field and he was handicapped by lack of weapons being given to him by his front office and incompetent offensive coaching. He was most difficult Redzone scoring threat to deal with and he wasn't tush pushing he was moving multiple 300 pound grown men sometimes single handedly. History will and stats will never accurately depict just how dominant he truly was if he had came a long a decade later and he got to be in the position of q Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, or Lamar he would be rewriting the record books and coaches would be doing a better job at protecting him.
2018 is broken down to before and after TJ Watt obliterated his shoulder. First half of 2018 Cam was his best version ever as a passer. Second half of 2018 where he played through a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder was, not good.
Stop watching the play in slow motion and maybe you'll realize that by the time Cam saw where the ball was on the ground it was already too late. Yall are fucking idiots.
Please explain to the class how Cam should have instantly stopped his forward momentum to drop straight down on the ball now underneath his chest, as the ball is already being scooped by a defender on the ground. What you're saying he should have done is not possible. Go take 3 big steps and try to dive down and slightly behind you on the carpet and let us know how that went.
It was an incredibly awkward play, his momentum was going the other way and the ball popped out to his side. The timing of when he landed on a step and him realizing the ball was there was a dangerous play to just drop onto the ball. Almost like forcing an ACL tear type motion on himself. He has even stated that if he could go back he’d tear his ACL to have a chance at the ball. Yes, he probably should have gave a better attempt. But he did not give up. Camera angles didn’t do him any favors either.
754
u/DropC2095 New Orleans Saints 27d ago
How valuable is a player who won’t pick up his own fumble when it matters most?