Connor Barwin gears up to face Cam Newton again
The same discussions the Eagles are having this week about how to defend Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton happened last November when the Panthers visited Philadelphia. Defensive coordinator Bill Davis decided to use a spy on the 6-foot-5, 245-pound quarterback. That spy was linebacker Connor Barwin, who at 6-4 and 264 pounds has the size to match up with Newton.
The same discussions the Eagles are having this week about how to defend Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton happened last November when the Panthers visited Philadelphia. Defensive coordinator Bill Davis decided to use a spy on the 6-foot-5, 245-pound quarterback. That spy was linebacker Connor Barwin, who at 6-4 and 264 pounds has the size to match up with Newton.
The result was one of the best games of Barwin's career. He finished with 31/2 sacks in a 45-21 win in which Newton was sacked nine times and rushed for only 6 yards. Newton threw for 306 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions that night, too.
Barwin pointed out that Newton played with an ankle injury, the Eagles were home, and the Panthers have a different offensive line, so the conditions will be different when the two teams play on Sunday night. Plus, Carolina has the film of last season's game, so the game plans could change. But Davis assigned Barwin on Newton, and the idea worked.
"We mix it up," Davis said. "But Connor is a good, big athlete. One thing about Cam is you can spy him and run with him, but then can you tackle him? Because he's so good. So Connor has got a good mix of size, speed and athleticism, and is a good matchup. So we did spy him last year with Connor, and it was because of how big he is."
Davis said the defense moves in and out of using a spy, but it's part of the plan when playing against a quarterback who is averaging 45 rushing yards per game this season and has 36 rushing touchdowns in 67 career games. Davis said the defense can't just rush three players and use one player as a spy because then there's not enough of a pass rush. The blitzes are designed to keep Newton in the pocket, but they know he has the ability to escape. At that point, a spy is important.
"I'm going to be ready. He's a good runner," Barwin said. "He's big. . . . He looks really good running the ball, so it's going to be a challenge."
Panthers coach Ron Rivera, a former Eagles assistant, called Barwin "a big roadblock" who is a playmaker. He also lauded his quarterback, who is an early MVP candidate after helping the Panthers to a 5-0 start and leading them on a winning touchdown drive against Seattle on Sunday.
Newton is the first mobile quarterback the Eagles will face this year. Last season, the Eagles played five of the top seven quarterbacks in rushing yards, including the top three. Barwin kept notes on each assignment, and he held onto them for reference.
"I need to go back and remember what I learned in that month last year," Barwin said. "I kind of got better at it as we went on, so I need to pick up where we left off."
Even though the Eagles have not played against a mobile quarterback, they practiced all summer against Tim Tebow. And considering the style of offense that Chip Kelly runs, the defense is familiar with the concept of a mobile quarterback.
"We haven't had it in six weeks [since Tebow's release], so we have to dust those conversations off and focus on it," Davis said.
Newton is different than most quarterbacks because of his size. Linebacker Brandon Graham said arm tackles or sweeps at Newton's ankles don't always work. And Newton can shake off a defender, too. The Eagles are using third-string quarterback Thad Lewis as Newton on the scout team, but Lewis is 6-2 and 219 pounds. He doesn't fully simulate what Newton can do.
The Eagles' defense can be confident after back-to-back impressive performances against accomplished quarterbacks. They allowed only three touchdowns in two games against Drew Brees and Eli Manning. Newton is a different type of quarterback, though. He has a big arm and can beat teams through the air, but he holds the ball for the sixth-longest time among NFL starting quarterbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. So he's in the pocket longer, making him susceptible to sacks and a threat to run. He has been sacked only 10 times in five games this year.
The Eagles responded with a nine-sack performance last season. Newton is healthier and the Panthers are hotter, but the Eagles still have Barwin - a rare linebacker with the size to shadow Newton.
"It's just a guy with a ball and I'm trying to tackle him and I'm trying to stay in front of him," Barwin said. "I'm going to try to tackle the arm that's holding the football and then get his body after that."
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