Get Your (Cam)era

Psychology of the Game Series

By: Jimmy

7/19/2020

“You know what makes this different..they ain’t never seen this Cam. They ain’t never seen him. Wanna know how I know? Sh** I ain’t never seen him. The forgotten Cam. The sh***ed on Cam. The tired of being sick and tired Cam. Felt like I was, just left to die. It’s over for him; he ain’t the same player. I love it, I adore it, I admire it. I wanna taste it. I want everything about it.” -Cam Newton-7/12/20

This was from a public service announcement via IG from Cam to the rest of the NFL after a recent workout in one of two black and white clips.

From a Cam who was league MVP and made a Super Bowl appearance in 2016.

From a Cam who is unlike any player we’ve seen in the NFL: a wide receiver personality stuck in the body of a defensive end who happens to be a quarterback.

From a Cam who, after a failed ninth season riddled with injuries, was released by the Panthers on March 24th and went unemployed for nearly four months.

From a Cam who went from league MVP to league minimum.

All these Cam’s combine to create the Cam we now have today and are about to witness this upcoming season.

The workouts and well-produced IG videos on social media are very good because they demonstrate the tireless work ethic and intrinsic motivation that have been the cornerstone of who Cam has always been. We already know he is one of the most physically fit athletes in the world possessing the greatest body we’ve ever seen at the quarterback position. But, the videos amount to a slight misdirection given what Cam must actually do to be successful this season and become the Cam the NFL should truly fear.

For Cam to evolve it has to be about showing the world just how much of a quarterback genius he is. It’s about mastering one of the most complex playbooks in the NFL, about studying film through the eyes of a Patriots quarterback. It’s about being a more accurate quarterback than the one who completed above 60% of his passes in only three of his nine seasons. It’s about being able to emotionally and psychologically cope with his performance being openly chastised by head coach Bill Belichick as he was known to have done regularly to Tom Brady.

However, by virtue of being a Patriots quarterback, especially in that division, he has everything he needs around him to stand on the ropes and the end of the fight and yell “Eat those words!” to all of his critics, proving he is a better Cam than he ever was.

He will have a good offensive line in front of him and a solid running game behind him which will be even more effective when you add his running ability into the mix.

Cam’s 2015 MVP season came when he lost his best wide receiver to injury before the season opener, so he has proven he can thrive without an elite receiver. This is perfect since the Patriots do not have one. Cam is successful in a wide open offense that focuses on quick pacing, short passes, and the freedom to make adjustments at the line which fits seamlessly into Josh McDaniel’s offensive scheme.

What Mike Shanahan and now Kyle Shanahan did for running backs, which is create a system that makes players more successful than they’d be outside that system, is akin to what Belichick does for defensive players. Therefore, despite the offseason departures Cam will have a solid defensive unit (rated #1 by Pro Football Focus in 2019) that won’t put him behind early and will give him decent field position.

So what Cam said is true. This is the Cam we’ve never seen before. He will not be the same player. And that’s a great thing. So get your camera, you’re going to want to remember this.