Facing Dynamic QB Cam Newton, Seahawks Will Be Grateful They Have Jamal Adams
When a team comes to town with a dynamic weapon at their disposal, you best hope your team has a counter-punch. Due to his running ability, Cam Newton poses a major threat to the Seahawks as the Patriots roll into town on Sunday night.
Thankfully, the Seahawks have a defender capable of neutralizing such a threat. Jamal Adams is as dynamic a defender as Newton is a quarterback. If Week 1's performance against Matt Ryan and the Falcons was any indication of what the LSU product can bring to the table, the Seahawks would do well to unleash him against yet another former MVP quarterback.
There is a brief history between Adams and Newton as well. During Adams' rookie season in 2017, Newton scampered for one of his trademark rushing touchdowns and performed is signature Superman celebration. Adams took issue with it and confronted the signal caller, leading to a brief, heated exchange.
Three years later, Adams will finally get his chance for revenge this Sunday in a matchup of two defensive-minded head coaches. It will be a chess match. Pete Carroll will scheme to give Adams opportunities to stop Newton and Bill Belichick's staff will see to it that Newton keeps Adams and the Seattle defense off balance.
So how can the Seahawks use Adams to slow down the 2015 NFL MVP? While it may not be pertinent to have Adams "spy" Newton all game long, it may be effective to pick some spots and assign Adams to Newton on short third down plays or near the goal line.
The Patriots no longer have future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski at tight end and their pass-catching group is very thin on experience outside of Julian Edelman. This means there is not that matchup nightmare teams are used to from the Patriots of yesteryear. This could free up Adams and others to key on Newton and the one-man army he can be.
Carroll alluded to the challenges Newton brings to any defense, saying, "They got a lot of stuff. I know that they haven’t shown, couldn’t show it all in one game. We have to be ready for a very wide spectrum of offensive style. It’s a difficult preparation in that regard. At least we know what he looks like, and we know what he is as a runner because of the years past.
There’s a wide variety of things that he does and can do. But they did show a willingness to run him downhill, wildcat situations, which is a great way to use your running quarterback."
What better way to defend Cam Newton and his superhero-like abilities than to deploy one of your own? This should be much-see television in prime time, especially given their minor scuffle three years ago.
