Nobody would argue against Cam Newton as one of the most locked-in professional athletes on the planet right now.
His Carolina Panthers are 14-0 heading into the final two weekends of regular-season play, and one could make a case that the franchise would be no better than 7-7 without Newton’s continued brilliance shining through on a weekly basis.
It’s hard to find many football people who would have anyone other than Newton atop their MVP list for the 2015 campaign, and for good reason. He’s totaled 40 touchdowns this year to lead the league and has made guys like Tedd Ginn Jr. and Greg Olsen look like Calvin Johnson and Jimmy Graham.
That said, while Newton would surely welcome the honor of winning the MVP award further down the road, it’s the last thing on his mind right now.
“It’s irrelevant to me right now,” he said, via David Newton of ESPN.com.
For the former Heisman Trophy winner and NCAA Football national champ, winning a Super Bowl is the coveted goal, not personal achievements.
Furthermore, while most would agree Newton has been the most remarkable individual performer of the season, he himself points to a group effort as the catalyst behind his personal success.
“It’s a culmination of guys making plays and [me] feeling comfortable in the pocket,” he said. “Everybody is doing their job. Offensive football is the ultimate team sport. You need all 11 members to do their job.”
These are the words of a focused leader.
At this point, as locked-in as Newton and his teammates are on both sides of the ball, it seems like the team’s greatest enemy is attrition. It’s going to take nothing less than perfection from the rest of the top NFC teams to take down the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium this January.
Up next is a road game against the Atlanta Falcons, who at 7-7 still have a sliver of hope to get into the playoffs. Given the fact that this is an early game and the Arizona Cardinals (the team that could take the top seed and home field throughout the playoffs) don’t play until later, Atlanta should get Newton’s full attention.
And for what it’s worth, the MVP trophy is already his.