Tale of the tape: Rookie seasons of Cam Newton and Jameis Winston
Passing
Newton completed 60 percent of his passes and averaged 253.2 yards a game. He had 21 touchdowns to 17 interceptions. He became the first rookie to pass for more than 4,000 yards (4,051). His completions and touchdowns were the third most in NFL history by a rookie quarterback. Winston has completed 58 percent of his passes for 247.8 yards a game. He has 22 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. He has thrown for 3,717 yards with one game remaining, so with a big game, he could break Newton's record. Advantage: Newton
Rushing
This isn't an apples-to-apples comparison because the Panthers built their offense around Newton and the read-option with designed runs for the quarterback. Tampa Bay runs a pro-style offense that doesn't require Winston to run unless necessary. Newton rushed for 706 yards and 14 touchdowns as a rookie. Winston has 199 yards and five touchdowns. Advantage: Newton
Total QB Rating
Winston has a better Total Quarterback Rating, 60.6 to 56.2 for Newton in 2011. Both were blitzed at about the same rate (31.7 percent for Winston, 31.4 percent for Newton), according to ESPN Stats & Information. Newton threw 11 of his touchdown passes against the blitz, compared to three for Winston. But Winston has taken fewer sacks (4.6 percent to 5.9 percent for Newton) and has gotten rid of the ball faster (2.64 seconds to 2.77). Advantage: Winston
Leadership
Both were considered somewhat charismatic in terms of personality coming out of college, but neither was voted team captain as a rookie. Newton got a reputation for sulking because of the way he sometimes sat alone on the sideline with a towel over his head. Perhaps Winston learned from that, as he has avoided that comparison. Advantage: Winston
Team record
Newton and the Panthers had a 6-10 record, but they came on strong at the end with four wins in their last six games. Winston would finish his rookie season with a 6-10 record if the Buccaneers lose Sunday; that would mean a four-game losing streak to end the season. Advantage: Newton
Passing
Newton completed 60 percent of his passes and averaged 253.2 yards a game. He had 21 touchdowns to 17 interceptions. He became the first rookie to pass for more than 4,000 yards (4,051). His completions and touchdowns were the third most in NFL history by a rookie quarterback. Winston has completed 58 percent of his passes for 247.8 yards a game. He has 22 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. He has thrown for 3,717 yards with one game remaining, so with a big game, he could break Newton's record. Advantage: Newton
Rushing
This isn't an apples-to-apples comparison because the Panthers built their offense around Newton and the read-option with designed runs for the quarterback. Tampa Bay runs a pro-style offense that doesn't require Winston to run unless necessary. Newton rushed for 706 yards and 14 touchdowns as a rookie. Winston has 199 yards and five touchdowns. Advantage: Newton
Total QB Rating
Winston has a better Total Quarterback Rating, 60.6 to 56.2 for Newton in 2011. Both were blitzed at about the same rate (31.7 percent for Winston, 31.4 percent for Newton), according to ESPN Stats & Information. Newton threw 11 of his touchdown passes against the blitz, compared to three for Winston. But Winston has taken fewer sacks (4.6 percent to 5.9 percent for Newton) and has gotten rid of the ball faster (2.64 seconds to 2.77). Advantage: Winston
Leadership
Both were considered somewhat charismatic in terms of personality coming out of college, but neither was voted team captain as a rookie. Newton got a reputation for sulking because of the way he sometimes sat alone on the sideline with a towel over his head. Perhaps Winston learned from that, as he has avoided that comparison. Advantage: Winston
Team record
Newton and the Panthers had a 6-10 record, but they came on strong at the end with four wins in their last six games. Winston would finish his rookie season with a 6-10 record if the Buccaneers lose Sunday; that would mean a four-game losing streak to end the season. Advantage: Newton
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