Is Norv Turner the right coach to get the most out of Cam Newton? There are things that I like about the fit, but there are also concerns.
Turner likes to incorporate the long throws down the sidelines, usually with a big receiver on the business end. I think of all those tall who receivers who averaged 18-plus yards per catch in that offense in San Diego – Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd and even Danario Alexander (7 TD in 2012, look it up). Newton can make those kind of throws, and maybe Devin Funchess becomes one of those guys.
Turner likes using backs and tight ends as pass catchers, and they’ve got those pieces in place with Greg Olsen and Christian McCaffrey.
But I also worry that Turner’s offense might be out of date. Longer pass plays take more time to develop, so the quarterback must make deep drops and hold the ball longer. That tends to result in more sacks. Turner walked away from the Vikings, recall, halfway through the 2016 season, supposedly because he and Mike Zimmer didn’t agree on how the offense should be run.
In each of Turner’s last four full seasons, his offenses allowed at least 45 sacks. The Vikings allowed 21 sacks in the first half of his final season. And none of those five offenses ranked in the top 11 in overall passing production (using 4 for TD passes and 1 for every 20 passing yards).
Key will be how much Newton is utilized as a runner. If he’s going to finish with top-10 quarterbacking numbers, I think it will be by running for more yards and touchdowns than the vast majority of quarterbacks.
| NORV TURNER'S LAST 10 PASSING OFFENSES | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Pct | YPG | TD | Int | Sacks |
| 2007 | San Diego | 60% | 198 | 22 | 16 | 24 |
| 2008 | San Diego | 65% | 251 | 34 | 11 | 25 |
| 2009 | San Diego | 65% | 282 | 29 | 10 | 26 |
| 2010 | San Diego | 66% | 297 | 30 | 13 | 38 |
| 2011 | San Diego | 63% | 289 | 27 | 20 | 30 |
| 2012 | San Diego | 64% | 225 | 26 | 15 | 49 |
| 2013 | Cleveland | 56% | 273 | 26 | 20 | 49 |
| 2014 | Minnesota | 62% | 203 | 17 | 18 | 51 |
| 2015 | Minnesota | 65% | 203 | 14 | 9 | 45 |
| 2016 | Minnesota | 70% | 257 | 20 | 5 | 38 |
—Ian Allan