No. 7 – Cam Newton (1-2)
There’s little doubt that Cam Newton will walk away with the league’s Most Valuable Player trophy at the end of the season, but pundits everywhere are wondering if this will also be the year that he picks up some playoff hardware as well.
Like Carson Palmer, Newton is bringing years worth of experience into this year’s playoffs. But unlike Palmer, Newton has recent history, and a win, on his side. This will mark his third consecutive trip to the postseason and he’s hoping to improve on last year’s effort that saw him pick up a Wild Card win over Arizona before bowing out to the eventual NFC champs, Seattle.
Compared to his eye-popping regular season stats, Newton’s playoff numbers have been marginal. He’s passed for more than 250 yards and rushed for more than 50 yards just once, both in a 2013 Wild Card loss to San Francisco. His completion percentage has been higher in the postseason, passing at 61.3 percent clip, but he’s also been more prone to more interceptions. In the playoffs, Newton has been picked off nearly twice as much per passing attempt than he has during his regular season career.
He’s also been prone to cough up the ball in the playoffs, fumbling three times and losing two of them last year.
There’s no denying that Newton has been the best player in the league this year, leading Carolina to a 15-1 regular season and a top seed. But he’ll face the reigning and back-to-back NFC champion Seahawks who are out to prove that their mobile quarterback is the best the business.
