Eagles preparing for unique challenge in Cam Newton
The Eagles faced mostly stationary quarterback targets in their first six games. But that will change Sunday night when they go up against Carolina’s Cam Newton.
The Eagles faced mostly stationary quarterback targets in their first six games. But that will change Sunday night when they go up against Carolina's Cam Newton.
Newton has averaged 10 carries and 45 rushing yards in the 5-0 Panthers' first five games. Newton has 18 rushing first downs, which is the 13th most – by any player at any position – in the league.
Newton already has converted seven of eight down-and-distance situations of two yards or less.
"Cam is really running that offense at a high rate right now,'' Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis said Wednesday morning. "You're going to get your runs from him, which is unique to the NFL. You're going to get about 8 to 10 runs from him that you have to prepare for.
"But probably more impressively is how he's kind of settled into the passing game. He's not making the mistakes. He's taking what you give and he's moving the ball a little bit. He did a great job on the last drive (last week) against Seattle.''
Newton is only 23rd in the league in passing with an 83.2 rating. He has a cannon for an arm, but it has never been particularly accurate. He's 33rd in the league in completion percentage through the Panthers' first five games (.554).
But he has thrown only four interceptions.
Newton lost his best receiver, Kelvin Benjamin, in the preseason. Without Benjamin, Newton hasn't thrown deep very much. Just 21 of his 157 attempts have been throws of 20 yards or more. On throws of 10 yards or more, he has completed just 31 of 70 passes.
There are no quarterbacks in the league with Newton's rare combination of size (6-foot-6, 260 pounds) and speed.
Asked if it's going to be mandatory that he assign a "spy'' to Newton on Sunday night, Davis said, "I think no matter what percentage (of plays) you spy him, you (have to) move in and out of it. You can't just sit in a three-man rush all game and spy him. You want to go four and fives (rushers).
"You just have to be real disciplined that you're blitzing as a group and people are in the spot they're used to being in because even the blitzes are designed to have a nice little pocket that we keep (the quarterback) in.
"But he's such a playmaker – you have a plan of keeping him in there, but the athleticism kicks in – and then it's about a bunch of effort trying to get him and taking good angles. He's going to make his plays. Athletes like that make their plays. We have to keep it to a minimum.''
Linebackers Mychal Kendricks (hamstring) and Kiko Alonso (knee) participated in practice Wednesday morning. But it didn't sound as if Davis was holding his breath waiting for either to play against the Panthers.
With the team's bye week coming right after the Carolina game, the prudent move would be to hold both of them out until the Dallas game on Nov. 8.
"We're gonna test the waters with Mychal and Kiko today,'' Davis said. "They're going to get a little bit (of work). That's just kind of saying, 'OK, where are we?'
"So they'll get out there a little bit this week. I don't really anticipate (them playing this week). It's a day-to-day thing, so hopefully they surprise me. But I don't know if they will. The key thing is them getting healthy, and getting healthy at the right pace that their body will allow them to.''
