Cam Newton is again at the center of a controversy, but this time it’s over concern for his well-being rather than ridicule for his questionable demeanor. “But when you deliberately target and when you’re constantly being hit after the ball is out, I question the intent of the defensive player, and I question the official who, basically, if he does not warn them, lets the flow of the game continue”.
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The league said the hit did not merit Newton’s removal from the game.
The Denver Broncos took the National Football League season opener over the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, 21-20, after Panthers kicker Graham Gano botched a potential game-winning kick with five seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Questioned by reporters after the game, Newton said he didn’t know if he had been placed in any protocol, nor could he recall what questions he was asked just moments before by team medical staff, saying, “There’s too much going through my head right now for me to remember that”.
44 – Newton scored his 44th rushing touchdown, surpassing Steve Young to become the all-time rushing leader among quarterbacks. “So, that run stuff-you can’t do that all game with your quarterback”.
“The guy is a. tight end, defensive end playing quarterback”.
“We’ve got one heck of a resilient team”, Siemian said after the game. Carolina went back to the more exotic run game that made them successful last season but was not prevalent in the game last February.
That’s no reason for the officials to continually look the other way.
Rivera said he will send video of some of the hits to the league.
The next player might not be so lucky. When a player initiates a hit with the top of the helmet, leaves his feet to deliver a blow or levels a defenseless player, he is ejected from the game and has to sit out the first half of the next game as well. Net result of those hits: Zero penalty yards.
The reaction to the league’s handling of the situation is almost unanimous. In this case, an extremely important player. Then Broncos safety Darian Stewart went high on Newton as he threw a pass, and the roughing the passer penalty offset an intentional grounding call on Newton.
“Some of them certainly should have drawn a flag”, Rivera said.
“The thing that we didn’t do and needed to do better, we should have shut the run down and forced the guy to win the game”.
This time, they appeared more prepared to handle Denver defense, but changes in the Broncos scheme and personnel threw in some new wrinkles that Carolina had trouble handling even before Newton got roughed up.
That could lead to a hefty fine. NEP measures the value of each play on the field based on how an average team would be expected to perform, according to historical data. Newton was shaken up and was limping on the sideline but did not miss any snaps in the game. Maybe he’s gotten so used to being subjected to a different standard that he expects it.
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While acknowledging that the officials have a very hard job, Rivera put the onus on the league office, saying that if the NFL decides retroactively that a hit was egregious, players need to be suspended and fined – at least, if the NFL really wants to protect its players.
