Cam Newton considers himself Superman. Baltimore Ravens safety Eric Weddle has a different comparison.
"He's a fast dinosaur, muscular and big and runs people over," Weddle said Wednesday, via ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "He's a very unique quarterback in this league. He's the only one really like him."
He'll get no argument here. Newton is a unique blend of physical freak that can take a beating running the ball few other quarterbacks could handle.
Weddle was asked what kind of dinosaur is Newton.
"What's the one with the horns and charges?" Weddle asked.
A triceratops, a reporter replied.
"Yes, that one just bowls people over," Weddle said.
Newton is enjoying his best season since the 2015 MVP campaign. Under new coordinator Norv Turner, Newton is averaging a career-best 65.6 completion percentage to go along with an 11-4 TD-INT ratio and 94.7 passer rating. Turner is asking Newton to do more with his arm this season, the Panthers are averaging highest pass percent (58.2), pass attempts per game (34.8), and passing first downs per game (13.2) since Newton entered the league, per NFL Research.
The bulldozing QB is also still getting it done with his legs as a dual threat. Newton ranks first among QBs in rushing yards per game (42.8) and rush attempts per tilt (8.7).
Newton said Weddle isn't the first person to refer to him as a dinosaur. A former assistant at Auburn, Trooper Taylor, used to call him that too.
"I always asked him, 'Why do you call me a dinosaur?'" Newton said. "He said, 'Your talent is extinct. They don't make them like you no more.' I always laughed but if you look around this league, and I've tried to warn a lot of people prior, too, but it's not cocky, it's not confidence, it's just self-belief in yourself, knowing that the talents that you possess a lot of people can't say that they have."
The question facing Newton heading into Sunday's tilt versus the Ravens No. 1 defense: Can dinosaurs wear capes?
