As the season progresses, two quarterbacks—Andy Dalton and Cam Newton—have taken the lead in the Rookie of the Year race. Familiar camps have set up around the two. The "Stats" camp touts Newton's superior numbers; the "Wins" camp Dalton's superior record.
Let's take a look at the numbers and then decide:
| Player | Wins | Losses | Att | Com | Yds | TD | INT | Rush Yds | Rush TD |
| Andy Dalton | 6 | 3 | 173 | 287 | 1866 | 14 | 9 | 26 | 1 |
| Cam Newton | 2 | 7 | 197 | 327 | 2605 | 11 | 10 | 374 | 7 |
Cam Newton has far and away the better statistical season. His total offense of 2,824 (rushing and passing yards subtracted by yards lost to sacks) through nine games is the most in NFL history by a rookie by a full 600 yards.
That means Newton has produced 27 percent more yards through his firs nine games than any rookie, ever.
Not enough for you? How about the fact that Newton has generated the 12th most offensive yards through nine games period, by any player, at any point in their career. Or how about that he's generated just 44 yards fewer than Aaron Rodgers this season?
That's not to say that Dalton is not having a fine statistical season. His QB rating is just a smidgen lower than Newton's (82.6 to 84.0) and his total yardage, 1808, is on track for the ninth most by a rookie in NFL history. It does demonstrate that there is a significant statistical edge for Newton though.
So is he the reason the Bengals are winning? Is Carolina losing because of Newton?
The problem with arguing about "wins' and quarterbacks is that they are only on the field about half the game. The other half, they have absolutely no effect on. The Bengals have surrendered only 164 points this season. Newton's Panthers have given up 237 points. Furthermore, Dalton has had his defense score one defensive touchdown, as well as his kick returner giving him one touchdown. Finally, his backup quarterback has generated one touchdown.
The only help Newton has gotten from his teammates is a safety.
When you add all that up, it's a 92-point swing when the quarterback is not on the field. Can you really credit Dalton or blame Newton for what happens when they aren't on the field?
Another fascinating stat to me is the number of fumbles lost by the Bengals this year—zero. Compare that to five lost fumbles by the Panthers other than Newton. Is it Newton's fault that his teammates fumble? Does Dalton get credit for his teammates not fumbling?
Finally, you have to look at schedule strength. The Carolina Panthers have had the toughest schedule in the NFL (which makes Newton's prodigious numbers all the more remarkable). Their opponents have had an average winning percentage of .555 and have an aggregate record of 142-114.
In spite of this, Newton's Panthers have been competitive consistently. All but two of the games they've played have been settled by one score or less
By comparison, the Bengals are tied for the fourth easiest schedule in the NFL. Their opponents have an aggregate winning percentage .473 and have collectively gone 121-135.
Finally, Dalton's offensive teammates have provided him 999 yards not produced by him, while Newton's teammates have contributed only 776 yards. Newton has either thrown or passed for all but three of the Panthers TDs, Dalton has gotten five TDs from his offensive teammates.
Added together with the previous 92 points, that's a 106-point difference in scoring margin that Dalton benefits from, or 11.77 points per game that is not related to the quarterback. Of that, 10.22 of those points come when the QB isn't even on the field.
When you consider that, and that the Panthers have had a much tougher schedule, it seems disingenuous to make the claim that "Dalton wins" or that "Newton puts up numbers but doesn't win."
If Dalton were leading the Bengals in takeaways or tackles, it might be different. Since he's not, though, I find it hard to give him more credit than Newton.
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