If Tim Tebow didn't exist, it would be necessary to invent him, we'd all be talking about Cam Newton's spectacular rookie season today.

After struggling a week ago against Atlanta, Newton had his best game of his career against a talented Redskins defense yesterday.

He completed nearly 80% of his passes, and scored two TDs without turning the ball over.

Behind the stats, Cam has shown that he can make every throw, and that he has the foot speed to outrun NFL defenders.

Here he making the Skins look silly on a TD run yesterday:

No one thought Cam would be this good, this quick. No one thought he'd be accurate enough. No one thought he'd be able to read defense well enough. And no one thought he'd be able to hold up to the mental rigors that playing quarterback in the NFL requires.

But he has, and then some.

Almost single-handedly, he changed the feel of the Panthers — turning a crap team into a joyful and explosive one the minute he stepped under center.

Tebow-mania is understandable, but Cam should be the big story in the NFL right now.