Plenty of NFL players got an introduction to Washington defensive end Chase Young during his rookie season, but Patriots quarterback Cam Newton wasn’t one of them.
Newton got his introduction early in Thursday night’s preseason game. Young came off the edge and drilled Newton to force an apparent fumble that officials ultimately called an incomplete pass. Newton joked after the game that Young is smaller than he thought before saying the 2020 first-rounder is going to be “real good.”
Young called Newton “very big” and said “it kind of felt like slow motion” getting around the blockers on his way to Newton. Young credited his offseason focus on improving his hands with leading to the sack.
“Yeah going around the edge,” Young said in his postgame press conference. “I tell people that I want to work on my hands more this year. On that play all that work paid off. It was a long-arm cut, and I turned my hips, got around the edge and tried to make a play. I’m glad I could definitely impact the game early.”
Unless you were playing against him, there was a lot to like about Young’s performance as a rookie. If Thursday’s cameo was a sign that the 2021 version is even better, there will be even more smiles in Washington this time around.