Happy Half Hour Episode 55: A Proper Reintroduction

about the immediate reaction last week. Of course we waited to podcast until um the dust had settled just a little bit. But now we've seen him in his first game action back with the Panthers. And people can't see this because this is a podcast and not on video. But Will and I are both sitting here recording this podcast while wearing large fat hats with feathers in them, so that theater of the mind and you just smoke at the same time into the same mike Weirdly. I

don't know why you guys are doing that. All I have to say is y'all made fun of me at the top of last week's podcast for saying Cam and then over the weekend, I heard Jonathan Vilma, Nate Burlison, and Michael Strahan A'll do the exact same thing on national television. As if it wasn't a thing you all made fun of me. It's a thing we do it. Okay, I'm just kidding. But that's the MG the dude brings. And it was evident on Sunday. I mean it was, you know, as Matt Rule said, man takes his first

two touches for touchdowns. That's like a movie. It's not a real thing that happens in the world. It's just this cinematic quality. And we'll talked about last week like we were watching the movie of this man's life unfold. Well this was another chapter in at that game the other day and and people were freaking out. I mean, look at Christian McCaffrey, who's normally the most poised, composed person in the world, and he was just over there losing it, not really knowing what he was doing with

his arms and legs. And that's the effect. If, yes, if you go onto the Panthers Twitter, you'll see Darren tried to do it. But again theater of the mind, um, no one can see it. He does this weird kind of like floppy hand dance. That's why I think it's the Bernie. But he just did it poorly until he was just like, I don't know what I was doing. It looked like the Bernie to be one thing. That because I was on the sideline for the game, and I don't know if this was captured on the TV broadcast,

imagine it was. I want to say maybe it was the first touchdown that or they remember when they thought Christian scored right and he was out of bounds with the two he Kimden came off the bench and Christian leaped into his arms as if it were like, uh, not quite the dirty dancing, but it was like it was like a like an ice dancing lift. It was great to see, but then of course, you know, it's celebration. Doesn't quite work when when you when you old score.

But in the in the heat of the moment, everyone thought he had you know, gotten in and um, it was before the they looked at the play. If I'm not mistaken, that happened at one point in the game, and I think it was that that first run of

Christians where they thought he got into into score. There's a great picture of them from the Atlanta game in where they both like had their arms out like this kind of like on the front of the Titanic and then they just like leapt up onto like ten feet in the air and it's this this fantastic frame of like the background of the stadium of like the two of them like screaming, just like it's incredible. I'm picturing that Lebron Dwayne Wade picture, you know what I'm talking about,

where there they both have their arms out. We've referenced like seven visual things in the first three minutes. Yeah, yeah, and again Darren demonstrate all of these moves as a companion piece. When we released will illustrate it. They will be drawings and stuff, stick figures maybe, But that's the I mean, I say this all the time. That's the effect this man has on people a team, and they talked about it and Matt Rule is very big into

the football now where past the impact. But he was like, you know, all that stuff is cool, the fun is good, the excitement is great. You like being in that kind of atmosphere as long as he's doing the work, as long as he's getting the stuff done on the field. And two touches two touchdowns last week. He's getting done on the field, and now there are new challenges with getting him, you know, up to speed and actually learning

what the Panthers do offensively and stuff like that. But right now we're just I mean, we are truly in the middle of a hurricane of a moment and it's just in a but in a good way, and there's just so much stuff going on you just kind of try to latch onto one thing, and um, I mean it really it defies descriptions sometimes. You know, Matt used the phrase force of nature yesterday talking about Camp, but it's seriously what he is. He's a rock star, he

he's a weather event. He's a force of nature. That's it sounds overdone, It sounds corny and cliche, and they all happen to be true. I agree. I really liked what what Matt Rule said yesterday, so we heard him staying in the press conference, and then I asked him about it later as I was doing an interview for our TV show, where he said, yes, you know, Darny,

were just talking about the energy. Yes, he brings the energy, and that's the big storyline, and that's what everyone's talking about, but really it kind of diminishes the other stuff that we're seeing him do. If you're just talking about the energy he brings, what he did when he was in the game, as as you said, Darren, the stuff he's

doing behind the scenes, the type of worker that he is. Like, yes, the energy is there and it's important, but you know, as I mean, this is football speak, but it's not like they brought him in to compete and to win. And so if you just talk about the energy that he brings, UM, which he does, you're also not acknowledging the work that he's putting in the you know, way he's taking care of his body, the person that he's trying, the leader that he trying to be for his team.

And one thing I saw on the sidelines, so of course he was very limited, um in his contributions because he had been there for what a day and a half um, so they had a few things planned for him. We saw him in some short yardage situations, but like during the time that he was not on the field, he was using it to try to coach up the other players. Like I saw him put his arm around Derek Brown before the defense went out for the first series. I you know, we saw him gather the offense. I

think everyone saw that. I was right behind the bench for that. And at one point he was talking to Christian and then talking to Taylor Moulton and the offensive line, showing them, like showing them something he had seen from a Cardinals defender, just to make sure. And now that that is stuff that that all the players on the Panthers are very good about doing. But I mean, he was really trying to make the most and contribute the most he could when he was not out there on

the field. To let's face it, a lot of guys that he doesn't know well quite yet. I mean, that's a that's an interesting situation to come in and everything's kind of way different two years later, and you know, I'm some of them. I'm sure they haven't been properly introduced or he hasn't gotten to meet all of them. But he was really making the most of of every moment. At least that's what I saw. Yeah, and there are a lot more people on this roster who don't know

him than who know him well. They know they know of him about it, but personally, and I keep thinking everything just keeps getting ratcheted up over the course of the year. Remember when they brought in to find Gilmore and Phil Snow was talking about introducing him to somebody and said, it's to find Gilmore. Everybody knows Cam's on a different level. Literally, everybody in the entire world knows who Cam Newton is. But what is it fourteen guys

on this roster who have ever been around him? You know, And obviously that's a small percentage. So these guys are getting a crash course in Cam as much as he's getting a crash course and met Rule and and Joe Brady's game plan office, and we're getting a little bit

of a crash course too. I mean, and I want to overplay this kind of storyline of all this, but it does feel like it's it's Cam two point oh to an extent, like there there's a different you know, Cam has talked about the perspective he he took this fall when he talked last Friday, you know, in that really long press conference of you know what it was like.

You know, he was eating cereal last week. You know, Darren Is still has a lot of work to figure out what cereal kind of cereal right, I will find out. But you know that that he's had this perspective of what it's like when you have to be at home, you don't have coaches, you don't have anyone else. You're in charge of your life. You have to structure it.

You have to put in the work to to organize and be on top of the things that are important, and to prioritize yourself rather than have other people prioritized for you. And he was talking about like how much that's helped him and how much that's helped him grow. And I think, you know, coming back, there's both an appreciation for you know, hey, I'm playing football, and but also a you know, an understanding of what it kind

of can take. I mean, obviously he took some stuff from Bill Belichick and that time in New England, but I do think there's a different a different level of focus, and there's a different I mean I think DJ and CMC and all those guys would be like, they don't want to overstate it publicly, but I think they would probably say, are you just a little bit of a different cam? Yeah? And and how would there not be I mean, he went from here where you listen for lack of a better word, Cam is able to do

whatever he want, whenever he wanted. When he was playing for the Carolina Panthers, there were no breaks on Cam Newton. Uh, he goes to New England, where it's all break, no gas, Everything is prescribed, everything is controlled. Fun is not on the menu. You know, whether you enjoy your life in New England is of no concern whatsoever to Bill Belichick. And then he's unemployed. So I mean the idea that he's changed, Well, yeah, how would he not be changed?

Any of those who have ever been in situations where there was some degree of comfort, then there's a change, then there's unemployment, It's like, yeah, it kind of forces you to refocus on on certain things and and that's kind of what he's walking in here as now. And again it's it's hard to tell, and we're caught up in the moment right now, and everybody wonders, what's it gonna look like negative, what's it gonna look like next week? I don't know. I don't have any idea how this

is going to question we're gonna talk about that. I thought you were gonna tell us exactly how it's gonna go yeah, I wish I knew. He wishes he knew. Everybody does. But I think you know right now this is a crash course in being present. You know, I'll steal Ron rivera phrase be where your feet are, and that's kind of that's kind of where we are right now. I don't think it's helpful really to think about, oh, is this gonna work in twenty two? Is this gonna

work this week? And what's it gonna look like this week? I agree? So so short of asking you, Darren um, which I don't know how, you don't know how it's all gonna work out last week, but sort of asking you that, what does it look like in terms of getting a guy ready? Who Now, Matt Rule has said that they're giving Cam the majority of the reps in practice this week with the hope that he is able to go as the starter. That's that's I believe the

official line, right. So I just want to make sure I get that out there, right, So, what does it look like this week? A guy gets your last Thursday incredibly, you know, just physically commanding in town. Did you know you could just you know, he can get the ball and run it for for as long as he can make it, and that's a great play, right, Like he's it's always gonna go. Well, but what does it look like to try to get someone ready with the hopes

that they will start for this next game. Well, Kristen Belboni, I'm glad you asked, because there's a story coming up later this week about that very topic. Um, and I have talked to people inside the building and outside the building about what that entails, people like Vinny Testaverdy and Jake Deloum and quarterbacks who have been in this situation before. So, um, yeah, I look forward to getting that one out there in front of the people. But you know, in the short

answer to that is a lot of time. I'm in. Monday was the day you come off at a late game on the West Coast, you fly back east. Everybody's kind of zombiefied. We got back, so I was on the team plane for that game. We got back at Um, yeah, but I mean, but you're actually at your house at two I would say, you know, you might land at one thirty, but you're at your house at two o'clock in the morning, and we were flying commercial and got back at five thirty am. You know, and in the

bed at six thirty. Um, so it Monday is a tough day. Rule brings them in, still puts them through meetings, doing all the recovery stuff that they normally do. But most of the players were gone by mid afternoon because he knows it's been a long night. Everybody's tired. Nobody slipped well last night. Um, and they were going out.

I had somebody tell me that at seven o'clock on Monday night, Cam was going upstairs to go meet with Joe and Seawan and Joe Brady, Shawn Ryan offensive coordinator, quarterback coach, and so Cam was going in to put in late nights. I mean, and that's what you do when you're trying to get caught up. It's the it's the time you have to spend. But I think it's kind of a good illustration of the way the guys

approaching it. I mean, if Cam was just looking to roll in here, be Cam Newton and do his one particular thing that he's great at, that would be fine. But I mean, to be putting in a late night on that night says something. Because of course you're tired. Everybody's tired, you know. I walked in Monday night and kind of flopped at the end of the day. I mean, it was just, you know, there's it's hard to concentrate when you're that tired. But that's the time he's putting

into it. He's taking it seriously, there's no question about that. Just for fun, okay, just for fun, let's go around the horn style. We'll love to do this. Let's go around the horn style and talk about one because I do want to talk about what we think next week is our next Sunday is going to look like against

Washington to end things. But before we get ahead of ourselves, one non CAM related storyline or stat that you find really intriguing or that you think has contributed to to the way this team is playing, because of course, what of all the stories and and focus is going to be on CAM and has been on CAM, and rightfully so considering his legacy, But under the radar, there's there were some really great things going on, especially in that

last Arizona game. Yeah, and and I can't put this in numbers the way will will be able to put it into numbers. But Shack Thompson, Ladies and Gentlemen, is playing the very best football of his entire life. Uh, he has never looked as good. He's found kind of a spiritual home. I do not know that man is a d percent physically where he could be because he had that foot injury down in Dallas. He's working his way back and and there's a little bit of management

when you have something like that. But this man is exactly what that defense needs. They've invested a lot of resources and linemen through last year's draft and free agency. They've invested a lot of resources in corners, but without that guy in the middle. When you all have heard me talk about the Carolina Panthers have always had that guy. They've had Sam Mills, They've had Dan Morgan, John Beeson, Luke Keikley, etcetera. There's always been that guy in the middle.

Shack is becoming one of those guys. I mean he is entering kind of rare territory and he's able to set the tone for an entire defense. I mean kind of the spirit the offense draws from Cam Newton. It's not like that because nobody's like Cam Newton, but Shack has that effect. And when he was out there was a little bit of a lull. But now that he's back. There's a different tone on that defense, and they feel

like they can stop anybody. I asked him yesterday. He and I were just chatting in the building and I said, okay, serious question. How are you playing so fast? He gained weight in the offseason, like you said, he's been through foot in junk and he's playing so fast. Well, I know you have that the the stat about what the quickest sack. It was the fastest sack in the last three years. So he was like, and of course, Shack

mean Jack. He was like, oh, I'm not really that, like, oh no, And Stanley Thomas Oliver was in front of us and he turned around and he was like, you are so fast, bro, You're so fast. Is like, no, I'm not. He's like, you're so fast. It was great. And he's playing I mean, as you said, he's playing his best football. And you know, it takes a little bit to get it out of him, but he'll say it, you know, And and his coaches said it, and I've

talked to Thomas Davis several times. He said it, and so I asked him, I said, look, these people are saying you're playing your best football. Do you do you feel like you are, and he's like, yeah, you know what they could do. But of course he's in his shack way, very humble about being as fast as he isn't playing as well as he is. But it's it's it's great to see it's great to see him him live up to that. I mean it, like you said,

big shoes to Phil. Over the last three weeks, Shack is one of two NFL players with at least twenty five tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one interception, one could be hit in one past reflection Kendricks Eric Kendricks to Minnesota's credible. Yeah, yeah, I mean yeah, and obviously more and more and more, but yeah, I mean just the he had just another game where he did a little bit of everything that one can do on defense. Yeah,

he's everywhere, Yeah, he is everywhere. All right, Well, was that your stat of the week or whatever. I mean, I'm just like a dial up machine, you know, Just alright, put one non Shack, non cam related stat or storyline. Christian McCaffrey has averaged a hundred twenty six point two scrimmage yards, this year's second best in the NFL. He needs just forty five yards. This is for you for the sideline needs forty five receiving yards on Sunday to

be in the three thousand, three thousand club. He will be the fastest player in NFL history to get there. Just text me that when you get a chance. I was gonna try to write it down. It's a great note. I'm gonna sound so smart on the radio broadcast. I literally just just I'm gonna give you a link. Just read down this this page. Absolutely keep refreshing it to give me more clicks. Okay, you got it. I can

do that, no problem. Yeah. I mean he's he looks great as well, and and as you guys, and as we said earlier, just that last game, he just seemed so excited flopping his hands around as Darryl straight later. The staff that people had that it was the average yards before initial contact was like seven. I mean, he was into the linebackers and safeties before anyone got a hand on him almost every play. Well, and that's another thing too, And it's another layer. I mean, Christian McCaffrey

already makes you a dangerous rushing team. Dropping Cam Newton into the middle of it just adds another layer that people have to prepare for. And I think it's interesting that they've had, like they had a little speed option plays. You saw p J. Walker run it down in Atlanta right before the almost interception in Atlanta. But you know they've got some of that in the playbook. So the idea that when you go to the goal line, it's not just quarterback power. You might be running option with

Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey. And if you're a defensive coordinator linebacker and you see that and you think that might becoming it's like, what do you do? I mean, it's almost helpless. It's like, Okay, I'm kind of jammed up here either way. Um, so play hard boys, try my best. Before we get back to the Cam story stuff, like Darren explained to me how you take all your starters out of the offensive line and then just shuffle and will No one asked me for my Noncam related storyline,

and it was gonna be that, sorry, Kristen. Kristen asked the question. Well, I was just gonna say, as far as you know, the storylines that have gone under the radar because of this CAM news is the fact that it's what was the seventh configuration of a starting lineup for this offensive line UM in ten games, and they lost two starters last week in addition to the other losses that they have had throughout the season, which is why they've shuffled so much for the most part, including

your center and UM and left tackle. And they go in and and play a really really clean game. And they have had they have had games where they have not looked great. There's no there's that's the truth, right. They've had games that they wish they could go back to. But they've had some of these games like this where

you're like, how is this gonna work? Just based on depth and um who they have available, and and losing guys unexpectedly stalwarts on this line like Matt Parrotis, And they go out and play a great game, right, one sack in the last three games and two zeros in there, I mean, and that's I mean, it's kind of unheard of. Now it pairs up with the fact that they're running

a lot more and a lot more effectively. I mean, if you go back to Atlanta before Christian you know forty what it was forty six for two oh three and then last week was thirty seven for one sixty six. I think, off the top of my head, how do I do? Will? That's pretty good? All right? Thanks? Um,

you know those things are combined. When you're running a lot, it's a lot less opportunities for pass rush on the other side and you're ahead, So I mean it's it helps in that regard and when you're able to call plays that way. So um, But all that being said, they're playing a lot better. Michael Jordan and Trent Scott are a bigger pair of guards, and they've added some physicality.

We'll see. Johnny Miller came back off. I are he practiced yesterday, but I think he's still, you know, a week or so away from getting back into the lineup maybe. But Trent Scott's filled in and pretty impressively well. He played some left tackle for him last year, never really played that much guard. He had to finish a game at guard last year against the Saints, I think it was, but practically no experience playing inside, and all of a sudden he's played right guard for the last three weeks

since looked pretty good. So, um, they've got a little more beef in the middle. They've they're a little more stout pad l Flyne while he's replacing a starter in Matt Paradis, who I think has always taken a lot more crap than he deserved. Matt Pearedis is smart. He's a different kind of center. He's more like Ryan Khalil and that he's he's more mobile and and smart rather than big and brawny. But you know, elf Lines come in and replaced him pretty well. And that's an important

position because the center calls out all the protections. You know, quarterbacks in this offense aren't going to the line and making those kind of calls. That's handled by the center. So that's a super important job. So having somebody like Elflyne, who's done it in the NFL and has a little bit of gravity, helps out. But but also he was on I R for most of them, you know, so it's not like he was he's he's was the backup center, but it's not like he had the benefit of a

lot of practice, yeah, you know. And and Sam Tecklenberg did a solid job for a backup and a guy who was initially kind of envisioned as maybe a practice squad guy or something like that, but he had to step in and play a good bit and he played okay, so they have It's not an ideal situation, but those Cats have made the most of it over the last three weeks. Absolutely, And I would just say some honorable mentions for non came related storylines. I mean, Hassan and

it continues to be great. P J Walker. I mean, the reason that Cam was able to come in and score those touchdowns is because PJ and the defense. The defense got them in in great field position and PJ took them down the field. Edward where the week for the second straight time. All Right, We're gonna wrap up soon, but before we do, I just want to ask you, guys, we're gonna forego the weird question of the week and talk about this Sunday's game. What do you expect Bank

of America Stadium to be like on Sunday? You both have been you both had the benefit of of the excitement that Cam brings to the home field. I have not seen it. I mean I've I've seen it in person as a fan, but I haven't I haven't worked here when it happens. So I'm just wondering, you know, what do you think it's gonnare There were people there's a lot of people that are new to this organization that have started in the last two years, that work in various rooms and buildings that I'm a part of.

And I've heard some of the younger ones they are worried of how much the thing is going to shake, that like it might fall down the stadium. Yeah, I have a baby on the way. I just want to make sure that I didn't mean it in that way, but it is going to shake. I don't think it's all I've heard that. You know, I did that structurally sound everyone, but some of the biggest games it has Huck, you can feel it. You can feel the upper deck, you can feel that. I mean it's going to have

that effect. Yeah, And the first answer is full yes. For one thing. I mean, I don't think there's going to be a lot of unused seats this weekend, just based on based on walking around in the community and people wanting tickets and stuff like that and wondering how to get tickets. And I mean there is demand. The crowded Arizona was was full of panthers, fright, And you know, I think a lot of people, a lot of people

just want to be a part of the show. I mean, we talk about it a lot around here, and and he is kind of the show everybody wants to see. So everybody wants to get in here this weekend. But it's going to be you want to be here for pregame introductions because doors open. When when that man comes through that tunnel and there's smoke and there's all the stuff and the fanfare and all that, it's like, what's he gonna do? What's it going to be like? And

you want to see it. You're smiling so big right now. To me, it's just you've heard me talk about music and concerts, and my answer is always go see the show. There's not going to be a bigger show in this city this weekend than Cam Newton because, as you said, Cam is the show. But it's also it's not just Cam. It's Cam being back with the Panthers, and Cam being back with the Panthers against Washington, with Ron Rivera and Marty Hernie and the entire coaching staff and half the roster.

We'll break it all down for you next week after after we see what it's like on Sunday. Thank you so much everyone for listen ening. We'll talk to you on the next Happy half Hour podcast, m