Gruden praises Newton: He's a 'power forward playing quarterback'

NFL coaches have tried for years to accurately describe the dual-threat ability that quarterbacks like Cam Newton possess, and the Las Vegas Raiders' Jon Gruden may have just finally delivered.

He explained the difficulty in stopping a player built like Newton, while also sharing a nickname he's given the signal-caller.

"I haven't seen many guys walk through my doors that look like Cam. I call him 'Slam.' Slam Newton. That was the nickname I gave him. He is a power forward playing quarterback," Gruden said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss.

Gruden's Raiders will be up against the New England Patriots this Sunday, and his team will be tasked with stopping an offense that Newton has rejuvenated. That hasn't been easy for the Patriots' previous two opponents.

"It's a tough operation. It always is when you play against Cam Newton and the New England Patriots, and now that they've joined forces, it's double trouble for every defensive staff, every coach, and every team that comes in there," Gruden told the media.

Newton has completed 71.4% of his pass attempts this season while scoring five total touchdowns. He also threw for nearly 400 yards in last Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Patriots passer missed the majority of last season with an injury, creating some offseason doubt about whether he could still play at a high level. Gruden believes Newton is still the dangerous dual-threat quarterback the league has feared for much of the last decade.

"Cam looks like he's the usual Cam. He's a threat to do a lot of different things," Gruden said.

The Raiders are 2-0, but they've allowed over 100 rushing yards in consecutive weeks.

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