Is Cam Newton responsible for Panthers' OC Joe Brady's firing?

Having recently rejoined the Carolina Panthers, the former league MVP has been the subject of heavy criticism recently.

Cam Newton accepts blame

Panthers' QB Cam Newton owned up to his potential consideration in the firing of offensive coordinator Joe Brady. After a below par game against the Miami Dolphins before the bye week, Newton said on Thursday, "Do I think I had something to do with it? The competitor in me, absolutely, yes. Because the truth of the matter is you don't lose your job because of success. ...Where I'm at now is doing what I can control to make sure that I have a job, too. Let's just be honest."

What happened with Cam Newton and Joe Brady?

At 32 years of age, Newton had a career-worst performance in a 33-10 loss at Miami on November 28th when he completed just 5 of 21 pass attempts for 92 yards, along with two interceptions and no touchdown passes. It was one week later that, head coach Matt Rhule dismissed Brady, replacing him with senior offensive assistant/running backs coach Jeff Nixon. With his appointment, Nixon joins the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Byron Leftwich as one of only two Black offensive playcallers in the NFL. With his disappointment clear to see, Newton - now 0-2 since rejoining Carolina - had little to say on Nixon's appointment.

"It's a great feel-good story," Newton said. "But once again, it's the NFL. This is a production-based league. I don't know if there's a need to say anything else. Am I excited for the opportunity [Nixon has]? Yes. Am I also disappointed about the opportunity? Yes. Obviously you had Joe who was here prior to."

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The Panthers aren't at their best

Carolina who currently sit on a 5-7 record have most definitely struggled on offense. While Newton has been at the center of recent critique it would be unjust to put the blame squarely on him. Before he rejoined the team that picked him at No.1 in the 2011 draft, the Panthers had gone three consecutive games without a touchdown. Sam Darnold was the starting QB and had scored just seven touchdowns in the first nine games. With this in mind it is understandable that Brady was let go. At the moment Carolina ranks 31st in third-quarter scoring, averaging 2.1 points. Additionally the Panthers rank 29th or worse in nine other key third-quarter categories.

So just who is Jeff Nixon?

While there are varying aspects of the Panthers' offense that need to change, one that is quite clear is their rushing game, which is something Brady failed to rely on. Though Rhule had previously stated that he wanted the team to arrive at 30 to 33 rushes per game, that feat has only been managed twice in the last 9 games. On those two occasions, they won, including a 19-13 victory at Atlanta when they rushed for 203 yards on 47 attempts. Speaking on Rhule and his subsequent hiring, Nixon said, "...He feels comfortable that we can be on the same page on how he wants the game to be called."

Acknowledging the significance of his appointment and what it could mean for other black coordinators in future, Nixon maintained that while happy, he remains focused on the challenge ahead. "I'm not going to lie," Nixon said. "I'm proud to be in the position I'm in. I'm extremely happy Coach Rhule gave me this opportunity. I'm going to try to make the most of it. I know in the past there really hasn't been a lot of people who look like me in this position, so I don't take that lightly. I'm going to do my best and try to represent others like me and do the best job I can."

Cam Newton conscious of his situation

Without doubt Newton is now also fighting to avoid a fate similar to that of Brady's. His contract, which runs to the end of the season is worth $4.5 million fully guaranteed with $1.5 million in roster bonuses. According to the QB the goal remains the same, help the Panthers to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. Currently, they are among 10 teams with between four and six wins battling it out for a wild-card spot in the NFC. Newton acknowledged that the honeymoon phase of his return to the Panthers is over as he looked towards the task at hand.

"Man, I'm here to win," said Newton. "When we win, everyone else gets promotions. When we don't, people get cut along the way."