J. Kapp 11 wrote:
That's not fair. I watched the game and commented to people in the room many times that Cam looked rattled. He played horribly. It was obvious not only after the game, but while it was happening. And honestly, it surprised me quite a bit. The way he's been playing, especially in the playoffs, I didn't expect the league MVP to go 18-of-41 with three turnovers. If Teddy went 18-of-41 and got rattled the way Cam did, everybody on this board would be calling for his head.
For the record, I have no bias either way with Cam Newton. I really don't care what he does. But if he's easy to dislike, it's only because he brings it on himself. And it's not just fans who don't care for him. The Broncos couldn't stand him or his teammates. Here's what Broncos corner T.J. Ward had to say about it:
“We don’t have to say nothing," Ward said. "We let them do all the talking. We let our pads talk. We talk with our helmets and our shoulder pads. They could do all the media talking, you know what I’m talking about? We’re not about that flashy stuff. We’re about that grind, putting in that work. Grind it. Work. That’s how you get the ‘ship."
"They want to be famous. We want to be champions," Ward said. "They want to be rappers and backup dancers. We want to play football.”
There are a LOT more comments besides Ward's -- from other Broncos players, even from Wade Phillips. The Broncos were pissed at all the Cam and Carolina love, and they weren't thrilled at how Cam and his teammates were unabashedly basking in the limelight during the buildup to the game. That kind of stuff just never sits well, either with fans or opponents. Cam is a great player, and he does a lot of nice things for kids and all. But if you're going to preen for the media, you'd better back it up.
So yeah, let's talk confirmation bias ... it's always smarter to do your talking after the game than before it. Maybe Carolina will learn that lesson.
I don't like Newton really, and yeah he brings it on himself. I've just seen lots of sentiment on the board and in other places long before this game of expressed dislike for him in spite of his onfield results (TDs). Contrasted with adoration for TB because he is so likeable regardless of results. So, my remark of confirmation bias is rooted in that and wasn't directed to a comment of yours specifically....I think it was Mondry's maybe....
Anyway, 18/41 is crap....I didn't realize it was that bad. I was more focused on how the potection was lacking and what little alternatives they had. It all seemed famliar. I think their whole offense crumbled....much the way the Vikings did at home against Seattle in the regular season. I took some humbrage at what I saw as Newton being made scapegoat. Or that his lack of perceived poise in one game makes TB a better option, when there is that regular season Seattle game to look at.
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Just to get my take on the topic back on track and out of the realm defending Newton in what I think was a team failure. I think they'll all learn from this loss and be back much like Denver after getting blown out of th SB 2 seasons ago:
I think TB has tons of potential and with the right breaks the Vikes could go a long way. But what happened in a game he did not even play in doesn't really mean much to me about what he will or won't do. It brings up some good debate though. Specifcally on what qualities a team needs to get through the rigors of the season and the intensity of the playoffs just to have the chance to play in that one game. I agree with you about what the Vikes have and where they need to focus going forward building the roster. It looks good!
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Realistically, IMO, any one of the four conference champioship teams could have played in that game and won it. A lot of things have to go right and it pays to be deep in the aspect of adaptability on both sides of the ball.
If there is anything TB has consistently shown me thus far, it's that he strikes me as being quite adaptable. I'm not so sure about his superiors though.
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I saw an interview with Rivera before the game where he was talking to Madden in the offseason early in his Panthers tenure. He was lamenting about how the team kept losing close games in spite of him calling games and making decisions 'by the book'. Madden just told him there is no book. What's happening in the now on the field is what dictates.
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I think it's been said here already, but it bears repeating...It's nice to have a system or formula for winning games, but the moment you pigeonhole yourself into that formula, in spite of regular season success, you run the risk of having your pants pulled down in the bigger games.
I think it hapened to the Panthers to some degree....I hope the Vikes learn that lesson soon, cause I think it has happened to them frequently. There are presumably many reasons, but I think overall philosophy is a big part of it...and it can handcuff a team at the worst time.