“The last time I talked to Cam was last night, and when I talked to him, he was feeling pretty good”. No competitor wants to leave a game, especially not in that moment, and given the choice, most players would wave the doctors off and play on.
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Now, there’s a difference being physical and being reckless.
We are only one game into the season and the National Football League is already under fire for how Cam Newton was battered in the Carolina Panthers’ loss to the Denver Broncos. But to accompany the statistics and the victory are the permanent images of Newton lying helpless on the ground after taking at least four helmet-to-helmet hits in the second half, when the Broncos say they turned up the aggression.
It is argued that Newton is refereed differently than any other quarterback in the league, this may be true, but Newton plays unlike any other quarterback in the league. “I know my wife was happy they took the time to go through the protocol. But it’s not fun getting hit in the head”. Inside linebacker Brandon Marshall launched at Newton as he scrambled on a third-down play in the third quarter, then Darian Stewart did the same in the fourth, drawing a roughing-the-passer penalty that was nullified by Newton’s intentional grounding. Those questions, by the way, took place after the game, according to Newton. That’s what I do feel. I don’t think there’s a racial component here, just an unintentional thought that Newton can take the hits because of his physicality. “We made too many mistakes playing and coaching”.
The hits by Barrett, Miller and Stewart appeared to be speed-of-the-game, unintentional strikes to the helmet.
“We played awful in the first half”, Chris Harris said after the game.
“There was communication between medical personnel on the Carolina sideline, including the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant, and the two independent certified athletic trainer spotters in the booth”, the league said in a statement Friday morning. When he was asked about a “racial” component to negative opinions of him as a player this offseason, he shrugged that off completely even though it’s undoubtedly part of it. Newton is the bigger man, not just physically, and, if anything, that should make him even more valuable to the league.
They played a game that was far from their best in nearly every phase and despite the big win over last season’s NFC Champion, the Carolina Panthers, they are not happy about it.
“We are reviewing the matter”, union spokesperson George Atallah told USA TODAY Sports.
Stewart said after the game he felt like he led with his shoulder, not his head.
For the Broncos, championship-level defense means allowing only 283.1 yards per game and making 52 sacks. Siemian now ranks a 70 overall in Madden 17, still one of the lowest scores among starting quarterbacks.
Newton finished Thursday night’s game 18-for-33 for 194 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT through the air, plus 54 yards and 1 TD rushing. He was also was less effective passing, completing just 7 of 16 passes for 83 yards with an interception after halftime.
“We missed a blitz pickup or else he throws a touchdown to Emmanuel”, Anderson said. If you’re not going to slide we’re going to put something on you. We may not have to wait that long to see him affect how the position is officiated. “So, that run stuff – you can’t do that all game with your quarterback”.
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Cam Newton is a special talent. At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, Newton is one of the NFL’s larger quarterbacks.
