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Can't teach accuracy? Cam Newton interesting case study...


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Cam Newton has a career completion percentage of 59.7%...prior to this season he had 2 years with at or above a 60% completion percentage, with a high of 61.7% and the other exactly at 60%.  This year he well exceeded this at 67.9%.

 

So what is going on? Did he just learn how to be more accurate? Or was he just making easier throws to McCaffery more often leading to higher completion rates?

 

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Just now, matter2003 said:

Cam Newton has a career completion percentage of 59.7%...prior to this season he had 2 years with at or above a 60% completion percentage, with a high of 61.7% and the other exactly at 60%.  This year he well exceeded this at 67.9%.

 

So what is going no? Did he just learn how to be more accurate? or was he making easier throws to McCaffery more often leading to higher completion rates?

 

Play design, similar to why Allen had a pretty high completion % vs the Dolphins.

 

Allen arguably had an average post injury throwing day, but they designed a bunch of high completion passes hence the higher %.

 

That's why this whole shallow NFL pundit and fan obsession of equating completion % to accuracy is misguided.

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Just now, matter2003 said:

Cam Newton has a career completion percentage of 59.7%...prior to this season he had 2 years with at or above a 60% completion percentage, with a high of 61.7% and the other exactly at 60%.  This year he well exceeded this at 67.9%.

 

So what is going no? Did he just learn how to be more accurate? or was he making easier throws to McCaffery more often leading to higher completion rates?

 

 McCaffrey was a huge part of that. He had 107 receptions this year. 

 

Even look at Eli Manning, his career completion rate was around 59%. He had a two years at 63.1 and 63.0 but was always around 59-60. This year with Barkley he had a career high 66% and his career completion rate jumped over 60% finally(60.3%). 

 

I really want the Bills to grab Scott from MSU or Gaskins from Washington. This would help Allen out so much. 

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7 minutes ago, BobChalmers said:

Cam Newton is also a cocky SOB who comfortably presented himself as Superman from the get-go.

 

Josh Allen is all about how he can work to get better.

 

No comparison on who is likely to improve more.

 

I can't even begin to tell you how much I agree with all of this.

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8 minutes ago, BobChalmers said:

Cam Newton is also a cocky SOB who comfortably presented himself as Superman from the get-go.

 

Josh Allen is all about how he can work to get better.

 

No comparison on who is likely to improve more.

Haha.  Yeah, the guy who won a Heisman, won 2 championships in college, set rookie passing records, won a MVP with Ted Ginn as his number 1 receiver isn’t that good.  

 

Allen finished up strong but you might want to review both players’ rookie years.  It’s nit even a slight against Allen.  It’s just painful how much fans here don’t realize how special of a player Newton.

 

and yup, Newton is a little cocky.  Allen is too and I imagine if he had Cam’s resume, he’d be pretty sure of himself too. 

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Drew Brees is arguably the most accurate QB in NFL history.

He has broken (his own) record for highest completion percentage twice in a row, with 72 percent and then 74.4 percent.

 

His career completion percentage after three seasons in the NFL?  59.4 percent.

 

Josh Allen was exactly 23 completed passes from reaching 60 percent.  That's it.  Over his 12 games played, we are talking about less than 2 passes per game.

Get an O-Line that can block, some WRs that can get open and actually catch the ball, a running game that can keep him out of 3rd-Long all the time, and get Daboll to sprinkle in some easier check-down passes.  Allen can improve by 2 passes... before even considering the work he can do on his mechanics.

 

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2 hours ago, BobChalmers said:

Cam Newton is also a cocky SOB who comfortably presented himself as Superman from the get-go.

 

Josh Allen is all about how he can work to get better.

 

No comparison on who is likely to improve more.

Do you watch the games? He is out there talking trash and celebrating like the rest of them. Josh might be a good guy, but lets not act like he is the next Larry Fitz. 

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3 hours ago, Magox said:

Play design, similar to why Allen had a pretty high completion % vs the Dolphins.

 

Allen arguably had an average post injury throwing day, but they designed a bunch of high completion passes hence the higher %.

 

That's why this whole shallow NFL pundit and fan obsession of equating completion % to accuracy is misguided.

It's one of the very few reliable metrics for comparing QB talent. 

 

As always, must be evaluated in connection with other data.

 

 

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6 hours ago, matter2003 said:

Cam Newton has a career completion percentage of 59.7%...prior to this season he had 2 years with at or above a 60% completion percentage, with a high of 61.7% and the other exactly at 60%.  This year he well exceeded this at 67.9%.

 

So what is going on? Did he just learn how to be more accurate? Or was he just making easier throws to McCaffery more often leading to higher completion rates?

 

 

The higher completion rate is a result of Cam throwing shorter, safer passes.  I believe I read that the depth of target is way down this season and interestingly enough, Carolina’s offense was way less explosive this year.

 

So you are going to be Trent Edwards with a 70% completion rating then good for you.  But you probably aren’t going to win games

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6 minutes ago, BillyWhiteShows said:

The higher completion rate is a result of Cam throwing shorter, safer passes.  I believe I read that the depth of target is way down this season and interestingly enough, Carolina’s offense was way less explosive this year.

 

So you are going to be Trent Edwards with a 70% completion rating then good for you.  But you probably aren’t going to win games

 

I don't know about 'depth of target". 

Newton was rocking 7.2 YPA this season, which is the highest he's had in the past four years.

 

7.2 YPA oughtta move the chains

 

PS threw more TD than he had for the last 3 years, too

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Allen completed 65% of his throws to cap the season off against Miami. Only difference between that game and the rest of the season is Allen decisively checked the ball off consistently instead of trying to hit a homerun every play. I think if you add a true pass catching RB and an OL on top of that Allen's completion % would jump above 60% easily.

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23 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I don't know about 'depth of target". 

Newton was rocking 7.2 YPA this season, which is the highest he's had in the past four years.

 

7.2 YPA oughtta move the chains

 

PS threw more TD than he had for the last 3 years, too

Combine this with lower depth of target stats and this means his receivers picking up YAC was a big chunk of that rather than him throwing the ball downfield

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7 hours ago, Magox said:

Play design, similar to why Allen had a pretty high completion % vs the Dolphins.

 

Allen arguably had an average post injury throwing day, but they designed a bunch of high completion passes hence the higher %.

 

That's why this whole shallow NFL pundit and fan obsession of equating completion % to accuracy is misguided.

 

There's a definite difference between comp % and accuracy. The actual problem with Allen is designed, 3-step drop and throw the ball plays is where he really struggles. He can hit every throw on the field but he has to get better at bread and butter plays. Those 6-7 easy gainers are how you win in this league, the round about, tackle breaking, rocket arming, LBer leaping plays are entertaining, but not how you go 13-3. 

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If you basically can't hit the broad side of a barn, then likely you can't teach that person to be accurate.

 

On the other hand if the issues are forgetting exactly what needs to be done, that's different.

 

Pre-draft when he was working with believe his name was Palmer, you were hearing how more accurate he was, even in training camp was better.  Then regular season came and things went off the rails, yes easy to write if as "anyone can be accurate in practice, what happens when the real bullets fly"   But the other side of that is as he practices more and more, the game slows down.  He won't have to think as much about where's the blitz coming from, who's the hot read, what are all the routes, instead he can think more about his footwork and quickly that will become second nature too him. 

 

Will he likely ever become a 65 to 70% completion percentage passer, probably not, but give him experience and a much better cast around him could see him making high 50s to 60%.  I'd also argue you can add 5% to his percentage because of his running abilities.  They may not be passes, but they still move the chains.

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7 hours ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Haha.  Yeah, the guy who won a Heisman, won 2 championships in college, set rookie passing records, won a MVP with Ted Ginn as his number 1 receiver isn’t that good.  

 

Allen finished up strong but you might want to review both players’ rookie years.  It’s nit even a slight against Allen.  It’s just painful how much fans here don’t realize how special of a player Newton.

 

and yup, Newton is a little cocky.  Allen is too and I imagine if he had Cam’s resume, he’d be pretty sure of himself too. 

Until you hit him or he throws a pick, then he falls apart.

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Cam’s Average Intended Air Yards went from 8.2 last year to 7.1 this year, which is pretty much what a few people have said.

 

If Beane has success in the next 5 months, I suspect we’ll see Josh’s # drop from 11to 9 and change and see his % go up quite a bit, too.

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