Team P.R. staffs from time to time send out emails touting the accomplishments of their players. Few such emails raise more eyebrows than the one circulated today by the Panthers.
We all know by now that rookie quarterback Cam Newton is having a special season. The email from the Panthers’ P.R. staff makes clear just how special it has been.
Newton already has set the all-time rookie record for passing yards, with 3,893 and counting. And he has surpassed Peyton Manning’s 3,739 yards in 1998 with 83 fewer attempts. That’s right, 83 fewer attempts.
Several weeks ago, Newton broke the all-time quarterback record for rushing touchdowns. He has 14.
Those 14 rushing touchdowns put him only one score behind a three-way tie for second place in all-time rookie rushing touchdowns. Mike Anderson, Clinton Portis, and Ickey Woods each scored 15. (Eric Dickerson holds the record, with 18.)
Combining the 14 rushing touchdowns with 20 passing touchdowns, Newton has shattered the all-time mark for total touchdowns accounted for by a rookie, surpassing the 27 from Charlie Conerly of the Giants in 1948.
So while some continue to believe that Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton should be named the offensive rookie of the year if his team qualifies for the postseason, Newton’s historic first season should make the decision a no-brainer.
And if there’s any doubt, the AP voters should ask themselves one simple question: Who would you rather have on your team, Newton or Dalton?