2 TE's or 1?

Red Zone Rushing
Newton - 28 carries for 71 yards (2.5), 7 tds, 2 fumbles
Williams - 20 carries for 67 yards (3.4), 2 tds, 0 fumbles
Stewart - 9 carries for 24 yards (2.7), 1 td, 0 fumbles
Tolbert - 7 carries for 19 yards (2.7), 4 tds, 0 fumbles


Red Zone Passing/Receiving
Newton - 18 for 50 (36%) for 134 yards, 8 tds, and 2 ints

Smith - 4 catches on 13 targets (30.8%) for 34 yards and 2 tds
Olsen - 5 catches on 11 targets (45.5%) for 39 yards and 3 tds
LaFell - 2 catches on 7 targets (28.6%) for 6 yards and 1 td (only one target between 11 & 20)
Murphy - 4 catches on 12 targets (33.3%) for 30 yards and 1 td
Tolbert - 0 catches for 0 yards (no target data)
Williams - 1 catch for 2 yards and 0 tds (no target data)
Stewart - 1 catch for 17 yards and 1 td (no target data)
Edwards - 0 catches on 0 targets
Barnidge - 0 catches on 0 targets
Pilares - 1 catch on 2 targets (50%) for 6 yards and 0 tds
Hartsock - 0 catches on 1 target
Adams - 0 catches on 0 targets


Inside the 10 Rushing
Newton - 20 carries for 44 yards (2.2), 7 tds, 2 fumbles
Williams - 10 carries for 21 yards (2.1), 1 td, 0 fumbles
Stewart - 5 carries for 7 yards (1.4), 1 td, 0 fumbles
Tolbert - 4 carries for 6 yards (1.5), 4 tds, 0 fumbles


Inside the 10 Passing/Receiving
Newton - 8 for 29 (27.6%) for 36 yards, 5 tds, and 2 ints

Smith - 1 catch on 6 targets (16.7%) for 4 yards and 1 td
Olsen - 3 catches on 7 targets (42.9%) for 13 yards and 2 tds
LaFell - 2 catches on 6 targets (33.3%) for 6 yards and 1 td
Murphy - 2 catches on 7 targets (28.6%) for 13 yards and 1 td
Tolbert - 0 catches for 0 yards (no target data)
Williams - 0 catches for 0 yards (no target data)
Stewart - 0 catches for 0 yards (no target data)
Edwards - 0 catches on 0 targets
Barnidge - 0 catches on 0 targets
Pilares - 0 catches on 0 targets
Hartsock - 0 catches on 1 target
Adams - 0 catches on 0 targets


Passers for comparison:
(RZ) Luck - 31 for 64 (48.4%) for 228 yards, 14 tds, and 2 ints
(RZ) Griffin - 24 for 39 (61.5%) for 111 yards, 10 tds, and 0 ints
(RZ) Wilson - 32 for 57 (56.1%) for 234 yards, 17 tds, and 0 ints
(I10) Luck - 12 for 28 (42.9%) for 65 yards, 10 tds, and 0 ints
(I10) Griffin - 14 for 20 (70%) for 66 yards, 8 tds, and 0 ints
(I10) Wilson - 11 for 20 (55%) for 56 yards, 9 tds, and 0 ints



Receivers for comparison:
(RZ) V. Jackson - 10 catches on 18 targets (55.6%) for 119 yards and 5 tds
(RZ) D. Clark - 8 catches on 11 targets (72.7%) for 68 yards and 4 tds
(RZ) R. White - 8 catches on 17 targets (47.1%) for 72 yards and 4 tds
(RZ) Gonzalez - 12 catches on 16 targets (75%) for 85 yards and 8 tds
(RZ) L. Moore - 7 catches on 14 targets (50%) for 58 yards and 4 tds
(RZ) Graham - 7 catches on 14 targets (50%) for 43 yards and 6 tds
(I10) V. Jackson - 1 catch on 3 targets (33.3%) for 7 yards and 1 td
(I10) D. Clark - 2 catches on 3 targets (66.7%) for 6 yards and 2 tds
(I10) R. White - 3 catches on 7 targets (42.9%) for 12 yards and 3 tds
(I10) Gonzalez - 6 catches on 9 targets (66.7%) for 24 yards and 6 tds
(I10) L. Moore - 3 catches on 7 targets (42.9%) for 22 yards and 3 tds
(I10) Graham - 5 catches on 10 targets (50%) for 11 yards and 4 tds


So it looks like tight ends are much better options in the red zone and around the goal line than wide receivers, but Cam Newton is an abysmal passer in those areas. Even Tebow completed 50% of his red zone passes and 40% inside the ten last season, both substantially better than Newton. It would be way too difficult to compile the numbers to be sure, but I suspect that Cam is the worst passer in the entire NFL in the red zone.

 

Did you work all that up or find it somewhere? Good stuff.

 

Compiled it. Took about ~15 minutes using ESPN and SI.

 

I checked and Cam Newton is by far the most inaccurate quarterback in the league inside the red zone. No one else was even below 40%, but there are some interesting names just above it:

26th - Matthew Stafford - 46.8%
27th - Tony Romo - 44.9%
28th - Joe Flacco - 44.0%
29th - Michael Vick - 43.9%
30th - Eli Manning - 43.6%
31st - Mark Sanchez - 42.9%
32nd - Brandon Weeden - 41.3%
33rd - Nick Foles - 40.7%
34th - Cam Newton - 36.0%

 

it's interesting how many names are on the above list that play in the same offense we do.

 

Flacco, Romo, and Stafford.

 

Sigh.

So Cam is money, as long as it's not in the red zone, or on 3rd down, or in the 4th quarter, or against a good defense?

 

Travis Kelce, Cincinnati Bearcats

I'm not in the Tolbert-as-defacto tight end camp. And I think the Panthers are missing the boat by not having a legitimate threat in two tight end sets. Apologies to Barnidge. Draft pundits rate WR as Carolina's #2 need, behind DT. I disagree. Having a #2 wide receiver is a misnomer as long as Steve Smith requires drive-by-drive feeding. Having a vertical threat to re-balance the field opposite Olsen is a greater need, in my opinion.

Kelce is not only instinctive, big and fast he's also a devastating blocker. He has attitude, and the Panthers need that. He won't be around in the 4th.

 

CBS has him projected to go in the 5th, and given that the team doesn't have a 3rd, they really can't afford to take a TE (or WR) before the 4th.