Look at the statistical leaders for NFL quarterbacks after Week 2. On top sits Tom Brady, no surprise, with 940 passing yards and seven touchdowns. Just below Brady is Cam Newton, whose 854 passing yards are second best in the league and the best mark ever for a rookie quarterback after two games.
Cam Newton Could Be Cruising To ROY Award With Historical Two-Week Stats
The first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft surprised the defending champions on Sunday and again commanded attention by topping 400 yards passing for the second week in a row. No other rookie quarterback has produced consecutive 400 yard games to start the season, and the chattering classes are already talking about the rookie of the year award.
Of course, Cam Newton has been commanding attention since leading Auburn to a national championship last year. He famously declared himself an “entertainer” in the weeks prior to the 2011 NFL Combine, inviting a level of scrutiny usually reserved for established superstars.
Week 2 is a little early to anoint a rookie of the year. Newton's blistering start the season, however, justifies all that ROY talk. Newton's first two games top those of recent quarterbacks who won the award. The Panthers' rookie has completed 52-of-83 passes for 854 yards, three touchdowns, four interceptions and an 89.1 QB rating.
Last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year, Sam Bradford, set a record of his own with 55 passing attempts in his debut. Through two weeks Bradford completed 46-of-80 passes for just 420 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions to go with a 63.5 QB rating.
Matt Ryan, the 2008 ROY winner, completed 22-of-46 passes for 319 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and a QB rating of 60.0 through his first two starts.
Ben Roethlisberger, the first quarterback to win the ROY since Dennis Shaw in 1970, did not start until week 3, and threw for 337 yards in those two games.
Newton already carved out a place in history with his first two performances, and the Panthers have been far more willing to turn him lose than other teams with their rookie quarterbacks. Newton has 14 more games to entertain the awards voters, and his biggest challenge might be staying healthy. That might be a tall order considering he has been sacked 8 times already, putting him on pace for a total of 64 sacks, just behind David Carr’s infamous rookie record.
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