Steve Smith and Cam Newton said all the right things to the media this week leading up to Carolina's matchup in Baltimore this week. But the real story was typically more interesting.
"From what I understand, Cam Newton was a big source of frustration for Steve Smith," NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport said Sunday on NFL Gameday Morning. "In fact, he told close friends he doesn't believe Cam Newton sees the field at all, specifically in the red zone. What Steve Smith told friends is that Cam Newton doesn't think fast enough or isn't precise enough to succeed in the red zone.
There is some statistical proof for Smith's assertion. Newton has only completed 44 percent of his passes in the red zone since 2011. Then again, Newton is one of the best red-zone runners in the league (not that wide receivers care as much about that).
Newton hasn't been able to run this season because he's not 100 percent healthy. That means he'll have to prove Smith wrong with a few well-timed passes Sunday against the Ravens.
We preview and pick every Week 4 game in the latest Around The NFL Podcast.
