Cam Newton makes stance clear on controversial ending to Cowboys-Lions Week 17 showdown
Cam Newton watched everything unfold in Saturday's Week 17 match between the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions. Two NFC powerhouses went down to the final seconds, with Detroit scoring to make it 20-19 with 23 seconds remaining. They opted to go for two, which ended up being attempted three times for various penalties.
Newton saw all the penalties and has an opinion on the controversial ending. Ironically, Newton himself has experience with this sort of loss in 2018- against the Lions, no less.
He took to X to state his opinion, which has been translated out of his unique font:
"The absolute fact that a 6ft7 300+ pound offensive tackle was the PRIMARY receiving option with the game on the line in a got to have it situation is WILD. THE AMOUNT OF BALLS IT TAKES TO MAKE THAT CALL and executr it is a WIN in itself."
Newton couldn't believe the call was made and that it was executed, penalty or not. The Lions have become ultra aggressive under head coach Dan Campbell, and this was an extension of that.
They could have taken the kick and potentially gone to overtime, but they opted to go for the win and nearly pulled it off with a stunning playcall. That got Newton's attention and it earned his praise.
Cam Newton knows how the Lions feel
The loss to the Dallas Cowboys likely has the Detroit Lions feeling flustered. If not for a penalty, they most likely would have won the game. Had it stood, they would've been up 21-20 with 23 seconds left, putting them in good position to get a key win.
Ultimately, that didn't happen, which is the risk one runs when going for the win instead of the tie. It's something that Cam Newton, who commented on it, knows a lot about.
In 2018, his Carolina Panthers took on the Lions in Detroit. With just over a minute remaining, the score was 20-13 until Newton found DJ Moore in the end zone to cut the deficit to one.
His two-point throw was incomplete and the team fell to 6-4 on the season despite a 25-37 day for Newton with 357 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.