CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Before anyone blames Cam Newton's 2016 throwing struggles on a shoulder injury, one that we learned on Tuesday will require surgery, consider this:
The Carolina Panthers quarterback completed 48 percent of his passes over the final four games, including the Week 14 win against San Diego in which he suffered the partially torn rotator cuff. His percentage in the previous three games was 44.8 percent. The 2015 NFL MVP was well on his way to a career-worst 52.9 completion percentage before the hit, though the offensive line was in shambles and would have made it tough on a lot of quarterbacks.