National Football League all-rookie team nominee Matt Darr set franchise records with the Miami Dolphins a year ago and Colton Schmidt is entering his third season with the Buffalo Bills.
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“I think the very first thing I did was I pointed to the Broncos”, Rivera said.
Although they’re more associates than amigos, Miller said his teasing and tweaking of Newton were actually measures of the respect he has for the man he calls “the best player in the league”.
Rivera’s “druthers” also included the Panthers opening at home, with a chance to celebrate their NFC title one last time.
“Obviously he’s a physical specimen and a good football player, but there are some challenges that once you go up against a tremendous defence, you’re not going to be able to get away with the things he was getting away with”.
“A lot of people want to make it a rematch, it’s not a rematch”.
The charismatic Newton grinned, smirked and dabbed his way to a 15-1 regular season record before impressing through the play-offs but was rightly given a dressing down for his post-Super Bowl press conference when he came across as a sulky schoolboy who had been sent to bed early. “I am here to win football games”. The good news for Newton is that come Friday morning, I suspect (hope) the Super Bowl 50 questions will all but disappear.
Others who figure to be even better in 2016 are pass rushers Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett, defensive end Derek Wolfe and cornerback Bradley Roby.
The chase for Super Bowl LI begins Thursday.
On Thursday the Panthers will undoubtedly revisit those memories as they step onto the field in Denver to take on the Broncos once again. Newton finished 18 of 41 for 265 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
“We will be locked and loaded, ready to go on Thursday”.
Newton spent much of his offseason adjusting to becoming a father and working on a Nickelodeon TV show for kids called “All In With Cam Newton”.
It would be asking a huge amount to repeat those phenomenal 15-1 exploits but their three rivals in the NFC South have plenty to prove themselves so even a drop-off of three or four games should still see them comfortably home and hosed into the post-season. “But it didn’t work that way”, Rivera said.
“He knows this is the big stage”, Rivera said.
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When asked if beating the Broncos would take the sting out of losing the Super Bowl, Newton simply shook his head. “The type of player that he is, the type of quarterback that he is, he is able to get his teammates to play at a level they would not normally play at”. Short said Sunday said just had to get his “wind back” after the short time off.
