Cam Newton, Kelvin Benjamin, Greg Olsen's Post
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The Panthers offense has been so bad of late that some have again wondered whether Cam Newton is a franchise quarterback. On Sunday, it's been so good that Carolina players were involved in a brawl with New Orleans Saints defenders.
The fracas broke out following a two-yard touchdown run from Newton that gave the Panthers a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. New Orleans defenders took exception to Newton's attempts to celebrate, to which he responded by unleashing his signature Superman celebration in the face of multiple players.
That craziness was the highlight of perhaps the Panthers' best half of football all season, as they entered halftime ahead 24-3. Newton has thrown for 162 yards and two touchdowns, adding 68 on the ground and the score.
Their quarterback's return to stardom has been a major boost for Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen, who have a touchdown apiece. Benjamin was on the receiving end of a nine-yard score that gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead and has 24 yards on his two receptions thus far. Olsen has a game-high seven receptions for 60 yards and caught a 16-yarder to touch paydirt in the second quarter.
This has been a far cry from the Carolina outfit that scored 10 points and looked discombobulated against New Orleans in Week 9. The Saints sacked Newton four times and limited him to 10-of-28 passing in that 28-10 walloping that appeared to give New Orleans control in the NFC South.
Of course, that hasn't been the case. Despite losing six straight, the Panthers came into Sunday only a game behind New Orleans and Atlanta in the loss column. With a win Sunday and a season-closing matchup with the Falcons, a playoff run isn't entirely out of the question.
That said, we're more than likely looking at a minor blip against a below-average defense. Newton has struggled amid a porous offensive line all season, and Benjamin and Olsen have remained starter-worthy fantasy options because there is no other above-average talent on the roster. The best action here is to stay the course. Keep Newton out of your starting lineup outside deeper leagues and continue to bank on most of his fantasy production trickling to his best pass-catchers.
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