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Jerome Baker – November 24, 2021 Download PDF version

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

LB Jerome Baker

(What do you think about facing QB Cam Newton this weekend?)  “I’m excited. Growing up, I always looked up to him. I’m definitely excited to play against him.”

(You faced him a couple times last year. You maybe thought you’d face him Week 1 this year. Just having that experience against him.) – “It definitely helps, just to play against him and you see the type of player he is actually playing against him. He’s Cam. He’s going to talk, he’s going to compete and we’re definitely up for this challenge.”

(When S Eric Rowe was out here a few minutes ago, he was talking about how QB Cam Newton has a way of getting under your skin as a defensive player. How much of that have you experienced and how eager are you to shut him up?) – “Me personally, he doesn’t really do it to me too often, just in the few games I played against him. But like I said, in the eighth grade when he was at Auburn, I was that kid in the back of the class looking up YouTube videos watching his highlight tapes. I’m still that fan of him. Just to go out there and compete against guys you looked up to is definitely fun. He’s Cam. He has a personality but at the end of the day, he loves to compete. If anybody knows that, I know that because I watched him quite a bit. I’m definitely excited.”

(What do you remember the most or was most challenging about him when you faced him last year with the Patriots?) – “I remember last year that we didn’t know exactly how they were going to use him in the run game. That first game, we would come back to the sideline and try to coach it up. It’s pretty hard to do that the way they were doing it. I remember the second game we were coached up and did a better job of containing him. At the end of the day, he is still Cam Newton. He can run the ball, he can throw it, strong arm, he’s a veteran. We definitely have to get after him and throw different looks at him. We’re definitely excited.”

(What type of dual threat does RB Christian McCaffrey presents to your defense? A guy who has been successful for a while now in this league.) – “Do you want me to talk about him?”

(Yeah, about McCaffrey.) – “He’s definitely one of the best backs in the league. He can take it 90 yards on a run play or he can catch a bomb for 60 yards receiving. He’s one of those guys that it’s pretty hard to stop him. You really have to contain him and limit his plays. It’s definitely going to be a big challenge with him. I’m excited because I cover a lot of running backs and it’s my first time going against him. I’m definitely excited to go up against him and see where I stack up against him. This will definitely be a fun one for me.”

(What’s more challenging from your standpoint in terms of defending a scrambling quarterback, an incredibly fast guy like QB Lamar Jackson or a really big guy like QB Cam Newton?) – “It’s not really challenging for me per se. It’s more the d-line. Our d-line does a great job of containing those guys, knowing the gameplan and just following the gameplan. If I would give anybody credit, it’s our d-line. They come in and they’re ready to work. They know how important it is to contain a guy like Lamar. They know how important it is to squeeze the pocket on a guy like Cam. I give it all to them. If I had to say what’s the most challenging, I’m going to give it to the young guy that’s running a 4.2 or something like that. Lamar, he’s definitely a challenge. But the one thing about Cam is he has something to prove. I think a lot of media takes away from his talent now that he’s older. He still has a strong arm. He has a bright mind so he’s seen it all. He has that hunger, that chip on his shoulder. I’m going to give it to Lamar but I’m definitely going to still give it to Cam.”

(When you found out that QB Cam Newton was re-signing to Carolina, did it immediately flash that ‘oh, we’re going to be playing them in a few weeks?’) – “Yeah. It definitely did, I was just happy for him to get back into the league. It was definitely cool to say we’re definitely playing him later. This week is this week, and now it’s time to get it done.”    

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