If the name Cam Newton sounds familiar to Wade Phillips, that’s because it should. The reality is that while Newton presents a tall order for the Rams’ defense, Phillips has faced him once before as a defensive coordinator with the Denver Broncos.
In short, the Rams are ready for the challenge during Sunday’s season opener. If there’s one person who has a keen understanding of defenses, it’s Phillips. He’s a great leader the players follow, and wants to be an advocate for a defensive-oriented team. Best believe, Phillips is undoubtedly preparing his troops to go up against the Carolina Panthers on the road at Bank of America Stadium for Week 1 in Charlotte.
“It will be a big challenge for us, but we’re looking forward to it,” Phillips said.
One of the biggest topics of discussion of late has been whether Newton bounces back strong for the Panthers this season. Continuing from where he left off a year ago, running back Christian McCaffrey can beat you with his feet. They’re tremendous playmakers, and have been the catalysts for a strong Panthers offensive game.
From the perspective of the Rams winning the NFC West in two consecutive seasons and reaching the Super Bowl a year ago before falling short, we can assume that they can beat anyone. At least that’s the perception you get when you look at how the team is currently stacked up from top to bottom.
Defensive tackle Aaron Donald is mindful of the task at hand, feels confident and he’s poised for an even bigger and better year. Being the defensive force that he is, Donald will dictate what the Panthers conjure up on offense by getting pressure on Newton.
For Phillips, a defensive guru, many of his schemes are designed to stifle and pound a duel-threat quarterback as explosive as Newton. Just a few years ago, the Broncos beat the Panthers 24-10 to capture Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
And, believe it or not, as a coordinator for the Broncos, Phillips took away the Panthers run game. He created an effective game plan, and it worked exceptionally well. The secret to stopping Newton and McCaffrey, who both will get the attention of the Rams defense, is to stack the box with seven defenders. And yes, the Rams have elite players in the front seven and in the secondary.
The Rams’ defense is stout, and we’ll surely find out if they are exactly that beginning on Sunday.
