The NFL and its referees have some explaining to do after Cam Newton’s head was used as a piñata by the Broncos’ ferocious pass rush in the league’s opener on Thursday night.
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While Rivera questioned the non-calls, he didn’t question the officials or doctors for not placing Newton in the concussion protocol after the final helmet-to-helmet hit that left the quarterback face down on the turf and obviously shaken. However, Cam absorbed upwards of 5 hits to head with only one being called.
That one was negated by an intentional grounding penalty on Newton.
Only Stewart’s hit was penalized – and that was a flag thrown from far away by referee Gene Steratore, who saw what the back judge positioned near the play could not.
Newton rose from the field very slowly after the last hit.
Rivera added he would, “love to see him start getting some of that veteran favoritism, that’d be cool”.
How Newton was not flagged by the concussion spotters in the press box to leave the game for brain evaluation is unexplainable.
Just ahead of Newton’s news conference, some sports reporters in Denver said that players believed to have concussions are not allowed to speak to the media. He was instrumental in the win and without him, Denver loses the game. “I ” m not going to question the doctors”.
“I think the National Football League really cares more about its image than it does player safety”, Garcia said. He became defensive a year ago after his quarterback stayed in for three plays and completed a touchdown drive before being tested for a concussion in the locker room early in the third quarter of a 41-38 win against New Orleans.
Newton was asked “a couple questions” after the game, but he was never tended to on the field, never given a once over by trainers on the sideline, never stopped by an independent certified athletic trainer watching the action from above.
“Was Cam treated differently from other quarterbacks?”
ROOKIE RISK: Punter Britton Colquitt was arguably the second-most valuable player for Denver in the Super Bowl, limiting the Panthers to 2 yards on three returns and twice pinning them inside their 20.
The hit the league referenced in its release Friday occurred with 36 seconds left in the game was by Stewart. I really like this officiating crew, so I know it’s not something they did intentionally.
“I think the biggest thing is if there is an opportunity to go back and review things”, Rivera suggested.
Rivera just wishes that game officials would have taken more steps – and had the power to take even more steps – to protect Newton from so many bone-jarring hits in the first place.
“I think we have the most fun when we’re just being ourselves and that’s what coach lets us do on game day, and it’s our responsibility to stay within the rules and the boundaries”, safety T.J. Ward said earlier this week. Fines for the game will be handed out next week, and if the league wants to send a message, they’ll make sure to hand out big fines to anyone who hit Cam in the head.
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“I try to warn the refs every time I do get hit in the head”.
