The Difference Between Ben Roethlisberger & Cam Newton

[BiggieScooby]

Let me start out by saying I hate the idea of drafting Cam Newton. I prefer Fairley, Bowers or Dareus. Understanding that this is a copy cat league and knowing the fact that in 14 days Big Ben could be hoisting his 3rd Lombardi trophy makes me wonder what One Bills Drive is thinking about, in particular our 92 year old "owner". When Ralph announced we need a QB in October this left no doubt in my mind what he wanted to do with his 1st round pick. That said it is widely known that Wilson has a high degree of input on where the Bills go with the first pick. Makes you wonder if Newton is Ralph's guy? There are comparisons that can be made between Big Ben & Cam Newton. Clearly from a size & athletic standpoint - the guys are strikingly similar.

 

Size:

Big Ben 6'5'' 241 - 40yd 4.75 - wonderlic 25 - 9 7/8 hands - 32 arm length - 32 vertical - 316 power clean - 410 max bench - 340 bench press

Newton 6'6'' 250 - 40yd 4.52 - wonderlic? - 2.8 high school gpa according to rivals.com - 32 vertical high school - 285 max bench

 

 

College stats:

Newton

YEAR TEAM CMP ATT PCT YDS AVG TD LNG INT RAT

2010 AUB 185 280 66.1 2854 10.2 30 94 7 182.05

YEAR TEAM ATT YDS AVG LNG TD FD FUM LOST

2010 AUB 264 1473 5.6 71 20 0 0 0

 

Roethlisberger

Season Team GP Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TDs Int YPA Att Yds TDs Avg

2001 Miami (OH)12 241 381 63.3 3,105 21 2 8.1 120 189 3 1.6

2002 Miami (OH)12 271 428 63.3 3,238 22 11 7.6 82 54 1 0.7

2003 Miami (OH)14 342 495 69.1 4,486 37 10 9.1 67 111 3 1.7

Career 38 854 1304 65.5% 10,829 80 23 8.3 269 354 7 1.3

 

Roethlisberger had a better college career, albeit Newton's 2010 season will go down as one of the best in college football history.

 

What it comes down to is intangibles. Big Ben has long been criticized by his teammates for not being as dedicated to his craft as Brady or Manning. Big Ben has also been very lucky. His motorcycle accident could have ended more seriously and possibly ended his career: think the NBA's Jay Williams. From a legal standpoint Roethlisberger has also been blessed to avoid long entanglements with prosecutors. Cam Newton's troubles have long been documented; however Big Ben's father has never stolen his son’s headlines.

 

On the football field both QB's appear to play a similar game using their feet to extend the play and ultimately make plays with their size and athletic ability. The difference I see is that Big Ben scrambles to find a passing lane always running with his head up looking down field, and pump-faking like crazy to manipulate the defense, and runs for the first down as a last option. When Newton scrambles he tucks the ball and goes for the first down marker and looks to pass second. Newton's running ability almost guarantees a "SPY" linebacker must be dedicated to him, and the pass rush must box him in with the goal of keeping him in the pocket and to funnel him to the spy. Oregon did a good job for the most part of boxing in Newton and giving him limited running room. An NFL defense will only do a better job of containing him and taking away his first instinct.

 

Another interesting bit is that Cam Newton will be working with Big Ben's mentor in the lead up to the draft: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2011/news/story?id=6051861&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines. No doubt Newton's camp will be making a strong push to compare Big Cam to Big Ben which is better than comparing him to Jamarcus Russell.

 

Curious to hear your thoughts...

[BiggieScooby]

Let me start out by saying I hate the idea of drafting Cam Newton. I prefer Fairley, Bowers or Dareus. Understanding that this is a copy cat league and knowing the fact that in 14 days Big Ben could be hoisting his 3rd Lombardi trophy makes me wonder what One Bills Drive is thinking about, in particular our 92 year old "owner". When Ralph announced we need a QB in October this left no doubt in my mind what he wanted to do with his 1st round pick. That said it is widely known that Wilson has a high degree of input on where the Bills go with the first pick. Makes you wonder if Newton is Ralph's guy? There are comparisons that can be made between Big Ben & Cam Newton. Clearly from a size & athletic standpoint - the guys are strikingly similar.

 

Size:

Big Ben 6'5'' 241 - 40yd 4.75 - wonderlic 25 - 9 7/8 hands - 32 arm length - 32 vertical - 316 power clean - 410 max bench - 340 bench press

Newton 6'6'' 250 - 40yd 4.52 - wonderlic? - 2.8 high school gpa according to rivals.com - 32 vertical high school - 285 max bench

 

 

College stats:

Newton

YEAR TEAM CMP ATT PCT YDS AVG TD LNG INT RAT

2010 AUB 185 280 66.1 2854 10.2 30 94 7 182.05

YEAR TEAM ATT YDS AVG LNG TD FD FUM LOST

2010 AUB 264 1473 5.6 71 20 0 0 0

 

Roethlisberger

Season Team GP Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TDs Int YPA Att Yds TDs Avg

2001 Miami (OH)12 241 381 63.3 3,105 21 2 8.1 120 189 3 1.6

2002 Miami (OH)12 271 428 63.3 3,238 22 11 7.6 82 54 1 0.7

2003 Miami (OH)14 342 495 69.1 4,486 37 10 9.1 67 111 3 1.7

Career 38 854 1304 65.5% 10,829 80 23 8.3 269 354 7 1.3

 

Roethlisberger had a better college career, albeit Newton's 2010 season will go down as one of the best in college football history.

 

What it comes down to is intangibles. Big Ben has long been criticized by his teammates for not being as dedicated to his craft as Brady or Manning. Big Ben has also been very lucky. His motorcycle accident could have ended more seriously and possibly ended his career: think the NBA's Jay Williams. From a legal standpoint Roethlisberger has also been blessed to avoid long entanglements with prosecutors. Cam Newton's troubles have long been documented; however Big Ben's father has never stolen his son’s headlines.

 

On the football field both QB's appear to play a similar game using their feet to extend the play and ultimately make plays with their size and athletic ability. The difference I see is that Big Ben scrambles to find a passing lane always running with his head up looking down field, and pump-faking like crazy to manipulate the defense, and runs for the first down as a last option. When Newton scrambles he tucks the ball and goes for the first down marker and looks to pass second. Newton's running ability almost guarantees a "SPY" linebacker must be dedicated to him, and the pass rush must box him in with the goal of keeping him in the pocket and to funnel him to the spy. Oregon did a good job for the most part of boxing in Newton and giving him limited running room. An NFL defense will only do a better job of containing him and taking away his first instinct.

 

Another interesting bit is that Cam Newton will be working with Big Ben's mentor in the lead up to the draft: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2011/news/story?id=6051861&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines. No doubt Newton's camp will be making a strong push to compare Big Cam to Big Ben which is better than comparing him to Jamarcus Russell.

 

Curious to hear your thoughts and whose career path you think his will most likely resemble.

[Zulu Cthulhu]

Great work on looking up all those stats but there's really no comparing the two yet, since Newton has yet to play an NFL down.

 

Even their college stats are skewed since Newton's career was shortened given his transfer and Roethlisberger played in a much less competitive conference.

 

The only thing they currently have comparable is size - Newton has wheels for his size and Ben can make plays with his feet when needed. But the thing that separates Big Ben from a lot of QBs is his awareness in sensing the rush -- none of us know if Newton can exhibit that same awareness since, as i said, he hasn't played a down yet in the NFL.

[Geno Smith's Arm]

Let me start out by saying I hate the idea of drafting Cam Newton. I prefer Fairley, Bowers or Dareus. Understanding that this is a copy cat league and knowing the fact that in 14 days Big Ben could be hoisting his 3rd Lombardi trophy makes me wonder what One Bills Drive is thinking about, in particular our 92 year old "owner". When Ralph announced we need a QB in October this left no doubt in my mind what he wanted to do with his 1st round pick. That said it is widely known that Wilson has a high degree of input on where the Bills go with the first pick. Makes you wonder if Newton is Ralph's guy? There are comparisons that can be made between Big Ben & Cam Newton. Clearly from a size & athletic standpoint - the guys are strikingly similar.

 

Size:

Big Ben 6'5'' 241 - 40yd 4.75 - wonderlic 25 - 9 7/8 hands - 32 arm length - 32 vertical - 316 power clean - 410 max bench - 340 bench press

Newton 6'6'' 250 - 40yd 4.52 - wonderlic? - 2.8 high school gpa according to rivals.com - 32 vertical high school - 285 max bench

 

 

College stats:

Newton

YEAR TEAM CMP ATT PCT YDS AVG TD LNG INT RAT

2010 AUB 185 280 66.1 2854 10.2 30 94 7 182.05

YEAR TEAM ATT YDS AVG LNG TD FD FUM LOST

2010 AUB 264 1473 5.6 71 20 0 0 0

 

Roethlisberger

Season Team GP Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TDs Int YPA Att Yds TDs Avg

2001 Miami (OH)12 241 381 63.3 3,105 21 2 8.1 120 189 3 1.6

2002 Miami (OH)12 271 428 63.3 3,238 22 11 7.6 82 54 1 0.7

2003 Miami (OH)14 342 495 69.1 4,486 37 10 9.1 67 111 3 1.7

Career 38 854 1304 65.5% 10,829 80 23 8.3 269 354 7 1.3

 

Roethlisberger had a better college career, albeit Newton's 2010 season will go down as one of the best in college football history.

 

What it comes down to is intangibles. Big Ben has long been criticized by his teammates for not being as dedicated to his craft as Brady or Manning. Big Ben has also been very lucky. His motorcycle accident could have ended more seriously and possibly ended his career: think the NBA's Jay Williams. From a legal standpoint Roethlisberger has also been blessed to avoid long entanglements with prosecutors. Cam Newton's troubles have long been documented; however Big Ben's father has never stolen his son’s headlines.

 

On the football field both QB's appear to play a similar game using their feet to extend the play and ultimately make plays with their size and athletic ability. The difference I see is that Big Ben scrambles to find a passing lane always running with his head up looking down field, and pump-faking like crazy to manipulate the defense, and runs for the first down as a last option. When Newton scrambles he tucks the ball and goes for the first down marker and looks to pass second. Newton's running ability almost guarantees a "SPY" linebacker must be dedicated to him, and the pass rush must box him in with the goal of keeping him in the pocket and to funnel him to the spy. Oregon did a good job for the most part of boxing in Newton and giving him limited running room. An NFL defense will only do a better job of containing him and taking away his first instinct.

 

Another interesting bit is that Cam Newton will be working with Big Ben's mentor in the lead up to the draft: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2011/news/story?id=6051861&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines. No doubt Newton's camp will be making a strong push to compare Big Cam to Big Ben which is better than comparing him to Jamarcus Russell.

 

Curious to hear your thoughts and whose career path you think his will most likely resemble.

 

Frankly, comparing Roethlisberger and Newton has never occured to me, and regardless of the physical stats you list,I don't think they have anything to do with each other. I also don't think that R. Wilson will demand that the Bills pick Newton, and I think this comparison is wishful thinking.

[Dorkington]

His skill set is more along the lines of Big Ben, but more athletic.

 

What his career will look like will depend on his mental maturity and who his coaches are.

[Ramius]

Newton never raped anyone.

 

Also, whats with this asinine "dedicated to his craft" phrase i keep hearing over and over on the boards? Is this going to be the dumbass cliched phrased used all offseason?

[BuffaloWings]

His skill set is more along the lines of Big Ben, but more athletic.

 

What his career will look like will depend on his mental maturity and who his coaches are.

When I first saw Newton, he reminded me of a much more athletic version of BR - big, tall, strong QB, but he has Michael Vick's legs & speed. Roethlisberger is more athletic than I gave him credit for - he can wiggle out of jams and pressure, but he still doesn't have the speed that Newton has.

 

I'll wait to pass judgment on Newton until he plays in the NFL, but I also wonder about his mental health. He seems to be the guy that has gotten everything he ever wanted (i.e., spoiled), so what will happen when he hits adversity or gets benched for the first time? I don't think his father will be able to bail him out, so I'd like to see how he handles it.

[akm0404]

Good lord, this board really drips with latent racism sometimes.

 

What President of the United States does Cam Newton most resemble?

 

1. Barrack Obama

2. Barrack Obama

3. Barrack Obama

4. Barrack Obama

[KD in CA]

Newton never raped anyone.

No, but his fanboys are raping common sense at every opportunity. Now we are comparing this one-year, running college QB wonder to Ben Rothlisnufalufagus?

 

 

 

Also, whats with this asinine "dedicated to his craft" phrase i keep hearing over and over on the boards? Is this going to be the dumbass cliched phrased used all offseason?

 

Don't forget, "all he does is win". I presume the universe would implode if he ever had to play against Tebow.

[JohnC]

Great work on looking up all those stats but there's really no comparing the two yet, since Newton has yet to play an NFL down.

 

Even their college stats are skewed since Newton's career was shortened given his transfer and Roethlisberger played in a much less competitive conference.

 

The only thing they currently have comparable is size - Newton has wheels for his size and Ben can make plays with his feet when needed. But the thing that separates Big Ben from a lot of QBs is his awareness in sensing the rush -- none of us know if Newton can exhibit that same awareness since, as i said, he hasn't played a down yet in the NFL.

 

You make an excellent point that Big Ben has an exceptional pocket presence. As yu noted what he does is keep the play alive with his feet and continue to look downfield. That is an art that is difficult to do at a high level. He is a master at it. If you watched some of Newton's games it would become evident that he also has an excellent feel for the pocket and where the lanes open up. With Newton, when the lanes opened up he would run. That is not going to happen in the pros to the extent that it did in college. Instead of running he will be moving around to throw more than he did in college.

 

Newton is in the size range of Ben. Although Newton receives a lot of attention for his running ability his throwing skills are excellent. He has a strong arm, he is accurate and he can throw with good touch. What is there not too like. In many ways he is a much more finished product than Tebow is, who I believe will develop into a good qb.

 

If you go back and look at the participants in the playoffs you will find that they all have franchise qbs. As of now we don't. Fitz is an earnest player with very limited tools. At best he is average. My view is if you have an opportunity to get a franchise qb, whether it is Newton or Gabbert or whomever, you seize the opportunity and then continue on with the rebuilding process.

[BuffaloFan68]

I was not a big fan of Newton a few months ago. I was a big Mallett fan, but I have been watching their last few games over & over and the more I watch, the more I like Newton. In Newton's last game, Oregon used a pro-style defense that was designed to contain Newton and he was able to beat them by taking advantage of what thay gave him. I aslo watched how they interacted with their teammates on the side lines. Newton should be a great NFL QB.

[Zulu Cthulhu]

Good lord, this board really drips with latent racism sometimes.

 

What President of the United States does Cam Newton most resemble?

 

1. Barrack Obama

2. Barrack Obama

3. Barrack Obama

4. Barrack Obama

That makes absolutely no sense. No one in this thread said anything remotely racist. I think your hypersensitive mind is playing tricks on you.

[The Senator]

Well, I voted Jamarcus Russell - but given Kim Newton's proclivity for stealing laptops, leaving Florida for poor academic performance (how stupid must you be to fail out of Florida?), and the money scandal at Auburn, I wonder if Maurice Clarett should have been one of the choices???

[Mango]

The fact that, other than big ben, every qb in the poll is black is slightly questionable

[Ramius]

No, but his fanboys are raping common sense at every opportunity. Now we are comparing this one-year, running college QB wonder to Ben Rothlisnufalufagus?

 

 

Don't forget, "all he does is win". I presume the universe would implode if he ever had to play against Tebow.

 

I thought we were past all of the nonsense when saint tebow was drafted, but no, we're subjected to the newton ball washing. I think that if newton ever played tebow it would be the first game in the history of the NFL where both teams won.

[The Senator]

The fact that, other than big ben, every qb in the poll is black is slightly questionable

Steve Young is black?

 

I never knew.

[Dorkington]

When I first saw Newton, he reminded me of a much more athletic version of BR - big, tall, strong QB, but he has Michael Vick's legs & speed. Roethlisberger is more athletic than I gave him credit for - he can wiggle out of jams and pressure, but he still doesn't have the speed that Newton has.

 

I'll wait to pass judgment on Newton until he plays in the NFL, but I also wonder about his mental health. He seems to be the guy that has gotten everything he ever wanted (i.e., spoiled), so what will happen when he hits adversity or gets benched for the first time? I don't think his father will be able to bail him out, so I'd like to see how he handles it.

Yeah Big Ben definitely has more athleticism than a lot give him. I think Newton can be very successful in the NFL, he just has to be in the right position. Get the right coaches with him, get the right system with him, and he'll likely flourish. Put him in a big mess, and he'll likely flounder.

[T master]

Cam Newton's !!!

[Ozymandius]

There hasn't been anyone like Newton to be honest. People like to compare him to Vince Young but the HUGE difference is that Vince Young throws like a girl and Cam Newton throws like a real QB.

 

Can't really compare Newton to Big Ben either because Roethlisberger was way more polished as a passer while Newton is even more dangerous as a runner.

 

I really think Newton is a unique, never-seen-before talent. The big question is whether he is smart enough to handle playing QB in the NFL. My guess is no.

[akm0404]

That makes absolutely no sense. No one in this thread said anything remotely racist. I think your hypersensitive mind is playing tricks on you.

Seriously? I think you have your head in the sand, with regard to how folks in Buffalo would receive a black quarterback.