N/S Cam Newton admits he doesn't know how to read defenses (2 Viewers)

[lapaz]

Cam is on video audibling out of plays because the linebackers or defensive fronts knew the pass play that his offense was running when he was in Carolina and changed to a better play. There’s game clips of that so it seems just outright false that he doesn’t know QB basics or can’t read defenses for as long as he’s been a starting QB with winning seasons.

The article mentions NE’s offense isn’t what Cam’s been used to so the context is about NE offense is different than his past offenses, not that he doesn’t know how to read defenses. The writeup doesn’t look like it included any questions that were asked for those responses or even the full response but just excerpts that followed their mention of how NE’s offense is different than what he’s used to.

If there’s already an opinion about Cam the quote will be interpreted negatively about his intellect, but the overall context looks like the plays in NE’s playbook centers around identifying defensive looks and he wasn’t used to doing so in his past offense’s playbook. I don’t see how explaining that a primary responsibility in one offense wasn’t required in the past offenses means he doesn’t know how to do it

I get your point that the quote isn't exactly saying he can't read defenses, but I think almost every QB has to read the position of the Mike linebacker, as well as most other players that may be in position to blitz him. Once you've identified those threats, then QBs have to identify keys which reveal the coverages. His comments do come across as being a bit dense, but it could be a misinterpretation.

Now, if the rookie QB Jones was actually teaching him the New England offense, then that would be a big indictment of Newton's intellect.

 

[Maik Jeaunz]

I mean, you can’t really expect him to read defenses if he thinks 30 is half of 32.

 

[LoE]

Wow....

LINK TO INTERVIEW

That's shocking.

Let the center figure it out, and let the QB work it out from there? At the NFL level?

QB calls the protection scheme, identifies the Mike. The C adjusts the protections. That's the way I thought it worked. But what do I know. Not much. I'm not an NFL QB.

And Cam is unemployed.

 

[TheIronSheik]

The system that Cam ran in Carolina was the Sid Gillman/Don Coryell system. The same system that Dan Fouts Chargers, the early 90's Cowboys and the Martz Rams ran.

Norv Turner coached both Carolina and early 90 cowboys both ran the same system, of course they used in different ways.

 

[TheIronSheik]

Newton didnt audible much in his offense cause the system didnt have those build into the system. Both Troy Aikman and Kurt Warner have said that they didnt audible much either in the same system either.

 

[Trey W.]

I guess the Saints must be the other only team because I know every play I heard Drew calling out the Mike.

 

[draftfreak]

Wow....

LINK TO INTERVIEW

This is why his career is pretty much over.

 

[Saint Greg]

It was a big deal when it came out that Josh Rosen didn't know how to Mike a linebacker. Now we're talking about a 10 year vet who won an MVP award. That's shocking.

 

[Saint Greg]

You are in for a surprise about this years Saints team then:

The Saints center has some new job responsibilities. After spending his first two years snapping the ball to Drew Brees and blocking, his job is now to read the defense, identify the middle linebacker and set protections for the offensive line. The process of how that gets done changes based on whether Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill is playing quarterback.

NewOrleans.Football

neworleans.football

Yeah that's my understanding. Usually a top QB like Brees will call the protections. For younger, inexperienced quarterbacks the center will do it. I would think by 10 years in the league Cam would've been at that level.

 

[Hoosierdaddee]

Meanwhile at the WFT ... With Fitzpatrick on IR, Heinike starting and Kyle Allen as the BU ... Cam's old coach Rivera passes on the reunion and opts for another Kyle (Shurmur) as practice squad insurance. Says something ... not sure what ...

 

[Inimicus]

Where did Cam say that he doesn’t know how to read defenses? It looks like he just explained how New England’s system reads defenses from that quote.

He says he’s never been in an offense like New England’s, which is a philosophy that requires him to identify defensive fronts and where linebackers are. Most teams offenses aren’t as complex. Cam’s basically been in read option offenses his whole career that always schemed around his rushing. New England’s offense is the first time Newton had to be an actual QB.

He’s a ex rival QB from the division but why is there a trend to try to humiliate Cam Newton’s intelligence and make him look stupid so much ?

you know why

 

[parlorcitysaint]

... why is there a trend to try to humiliate Cam Newton’s intelligence and make him look stupid so much ?

I think primarily, it's because there's SOOO MUCH stupid there to address.

 

[ilvdsnts]

He pretty much says it himself. "You can’t say that that’s stupid or ‘Why wouldn’t you know that?’ because half of the NFL — I would say 30 teams out of 32 teams don’t run this philosophy" So right there he's asking the question of why he doesn't know how to read defenses and he starts his answer with because, that means he's accepting that he doesn't know how to read defenses and then giving the explanation that half, or actually 30 out of 32 teams don't do it which is a total fabrication. I can easily name more than 2 teams where the QB reads defenses. Maybe he's explaining it wrong but it's what he said not us.

It doesn’t say he never read defenses, it says he’s never been in an offense that read the Mike LBer. There is a difference. There are many things that you can read about the defense that you can base your offensive calls on, so just because he says he’s never read the Mike don’t mean he’s never read defenses.

 

[Zack Lee]

I think a lot of the comments in here are based on the quoted part only. It’s a little clearer when you read the whole article. Do I think Jones was teaching Cam? No I do not. I think Rob was either taking out of his pooper or he was trying to talk up the Jones decision and not trying to talk down Cam. Do I think that Cam could do everything that Josh and Bill wanted him to be able to do? Also not likely but it isn’t likely Jones can yet either.

Bottom line is, they didn’t see Cam as a long term solution and moved on. He got by with so much on size and athletic ability that now that those things are not there to that level anymore, he can look pedestrian. He is weird but that doesn’t make him dumb.

 

[Saint Kamara]

Newton didnt audible much in his offense cause the system didnt have those build into the system. Both Troy Aikman and Kurt Warner have said that they didnt audible much either in the same system either.

He also never and I mean never changed his cadence. "Readyyyyyy.....Hut".

That was it. Every time.

Sure gives the defense a jump on the play.