The best thing about this week’s final preseason game is that Cam Newton will be safely stashed away in protective bubble wrap. This means Cam won’t have the opportunity to let his competitive instinct compel him to do something reckless, you know, like diving for a meaningless preseason first down, getting upended by a defender, then landing on his head as his neck compresses like an accordion.
Seriously Cam, never, ever, ever, ever, ever do that again in the preseason, okay? In fact, don’t even do that in the regular season. Please. Your health is more important than any first down.
I was watching the game against the Patriots live when Cam landed on his noggin. As he went airborne, time slowed down. My brain started calculating landing angles, impact force, and potential head/neck damage before Cam hit the turf. Images of our QB1 getting strapped down on a stretcher then carted away in an ambulance flashed through my mind.
Fortunately, Cam shook it off, sat out a few plays, then trotted right back to the huddle.
Crisis averted, but most Panthers fans are probably still shaken up after the near tragedy. To help all of us move past the trauma of this event, I’m hosting some free group therapy in the comments below. You can start by filling in the blank to the statement, “Watching Cam Newton land on his head in a preseason game was like…” and go from there.
For me, watching Cam Newton land on his head in the preseason was like watching an innocent bystander get wiped out by an inner-tuber rocketing down a snowy hill. You’ve all seen videos like these before. You cringe in anticipation of the impact because you can see it coming from a mile away but you can do nothing to stop it. Inner tubing, like football, is dangerous, but people can avoid getting obliterated on a mountain by having situational awareness and using caution, two traits Cam Newton momentarily lacked against the Patriots.
There, I feel a bit better. Thank you for helping me move forward with my Cam-related trauma.
What was it like for you?
