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Gabeking

By Gabeking,
in Carolina Panthers

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dos poptarts

Posted
Posted

The full article is now up.

http://www.sbnation.com/2014/10/2/6875507/breaking-madden-cam-newton-steve-smith

 

 

THE GAME.

One more rule: After I line up Steve Smith in enemy territory, I put the controller down. Everything that happens afterward is his doing.

...

True to the narrative, Cam really seems to be the only member of the Panthers to recognize what's up. Once I line Smith right next to him, Cam starts looking left and right, tapping his thigh, frantically calling some audible or another. It doesn't seem to matter much.

..

The poor fellas can't even manage a handoff most of the time. Steve barrels in from behind and bowls over the entire backfield at once.

Cam is losing the trust of his teammates, and it's kind of heartbreaking.
Cam persevered, though. To be honest with y'all, I expected the Panthers to be obliterated. I predicted that they'd score, at most, one or two field goals by virtue of lucking into great field position. But Lordy, he really hung in there.
Late in the third quarter, the Bears led, 31-17. I took it as a miracle that the Panthers could let an opponent hang out in their backfield all game and still score 17 points.

The true miracle, the one that was to follow, was the one I could not have imagined.

...

And I swear to God, I think this Steve Smith looked within himself and recognized himself as a wideout. Not only was he running away from Cam at a greater frequency, he was starting to run routes.

...

Cam Newton, longer haunted by his spectre, instantly begins to unload on the now-pitiful Bears defense. He has battled back.

Panthers 34, Bears 34, overtime. Carolina has the ball inside Chicago's 30. Cam hands off to DeAngelo, and the Steve of a couple quarters ago would have laid waste to him both. But look. Steve runs off. Maybe he decides he's in the wrong place. Maybe it's a slant route. I don't know.

 

BALLGAME.

Final score: Panthers 40, Bears 34 (OT).

Cam Newton: 134.8 passer rating, 31 completions, 39 attempts, 478 passing yards, two touchdowns, three fumbles.

Steve Smith: 24 sacks, two fumble recoveries.

This is the most improbable win in the history of Breaking Madden. That Cam even survived long enough to give himself a chance is remarkable, but Steve's gradual erosion into what he became is difficult for me to explain. I called the same play each time. Nothing should have changed. And yet, he did.

I didn't expect Cam Newton's Panthers to score seven points. They scored 40 in complete defiance. I felt as though Cam deserved to be rewarded somehow. I restarted the game, took Steve Smith off the field, and let Cam do all the nothing he wanted.

 

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