By USA Today’s count, this was one of four helmet-to-helmet hits the Broncos defense put on Newton throughout the game-only one of which was flagged.
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Panthers spokesman Steven Drummond said Newton also was checked three other times – on the bus en route to the Denver airport, on the team charter and again when the team arrived in Charlotte around 6 a.m.
They certainly delivered in the opener. Newton’s father stressed that he’s primarily anxious about Cam’s health whenever he takes the field, and how it will impact him in the future.
While Newton held his tongue afterward when pressed about officials who only flagged Stewart’s hit, Rivera on Friday safely broached the touchy topic.
The NFL said in a statement Friday that medical personnel, including the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant, reviewed video of safety Darian Stewart’s final-minute hit on Newton.
The NFL determined Marshall should have been flagged for his hit on Newton, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.
Carolina Panthers kicker Graham Gano walks off the field after missing a possible game-winning 50-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016.
The league said the hit did not merit Newton’s removal from the game. I’m definitely going to appeal. “It’s OK, though, I figured that some type of repercussion would happen”.
That’s what happened Thursday night, but it somehow got buried in the avalanche of talk about the hits on Newton. “I just took the shot, man”.
Newton was hit while throwing or rushing 17 times Thursday night, the second-worst beating he’s ever taken and the only one where he was hit more came in an overtime game.
“I think there is a little bit of prejudice to that”, Rivera said. “It wasn’t something that I know they did intentionally”, Newton said.
Except when he’s not, said Marshall. “We’re going to treat him like a running back”.
“The guy is a. tight end, defensive end playing quarterback”. “Was Cam treated differently from other quarterbacks?” Newton’s 44th rushing score of his career broke a tie between him and Steve Young for most by a QB in National Football League history.
Seantrel Henderson has made a decision to drop plans to appeal the NFL’s four-game suspension even though his agent said the Bills right tackle was using marijuana for medicinal purposes to relieve the effects of Crohn’s disease. “We saw him limping throughout the game, so that running stuff, you can’t do that all game”. They gave us the opportunity. “The quarterback is such a great player and there’s so many designed runs for him and you’ve got to tackle him like a back”.
“It wasn’t so much to build confidence as to show confidence”, Kubiak said Friday, suggesting the only way a young QB gets better is for his coach to show faith in him.
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While Rivera understands the daunting challenge facing referees in real time, he wouldn’t mind seeing the referee given a chance to slow things down, especially when dealing with a quarterback as physically unique as Newton.
