After Cam Newton had returned to practice Wednesday afternoon, I walked into the Panthers media room for the quarterback’s weekly press conference. Newton had taken a seat in the first row, so I walked up to the podium and proclaimed, “Everything felt great today, and I’m good to go on Sunday. Thank you.”Newton stood up, sighed, and said, “If only it were that easy.” Moments later he began.

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Question: How did it feel to be back out there?

Newton: It was good to put back-to-back practices together and to be out there grinding with the whole team and not have any type of restraints and feeling free again.

Q: Are you ready to start Sunday?

A: Absolutely.

Q: Go back to that whole process and what happened and what that was like for you. Ron said you lobbied to let you play for him to let you play?

A: My main focus right now is focusing on the Detroit Lions. I think I’ve got my hands full with trying to find ways to stay protected from ‘Donkey Kong’ Suh and my fellow Auburn teammate Nick Fairley. I’m just thinking forward, man. Derek played an amazing game, but we can’t dwell on the past even though it was great to get a team win this past week. But I’m moving forward.

Q: How disappointed were you to not play on Sunday.

A: Like I said, I’m moving forward. My main focus right now is focusing on the Detroit Lions. Derek Anderson did a great job and I can’t wait to start preparation for this week.

Q: Do you feel like you’re in a better position now because of that? Do you feel like you’re more healthy this week?

A: I’m feeling great right now. That was the focus. Coach did his job, and as far as having a plan, it was Ryan Vermillion and coach Rivera’s idea. And whatever is best for the team, I’m willing to do.

Q: Were you having some timing issues trying to get back to the flow of it?

A: That’s the whole things about playing this game, especially on the offensive side. You have to get in a groove and understand where a guy’s going to be. Throughout this whole practice it’s been trying to get back on the rhythm of how each guy is going to run their route differently.

Q: You’ve relied on Greg Olsen for years and Derek Anderson relied on him pretty well on Sunday. Can you talk about Greg and his strengths?

A: I think Greg is an underrated talent in this league, to say the least. What he brings to the offensive side for us is a very smart football player that has a great understanding of football and you can’t say that about a lot of players. He understands what his purpose it for each and every play, as well as correcting the play calls in the huddle during the game when people don’t see. But for Greg, it’s being consistent and being a reliable source each and every time the ball is in the air or thrown to him, and that’s what I like about him the most.

Q: Looking back, are you glad now that they held you out? Do you feel better now that you’ve had another week to rest?

A: My main focus is trying to focus on the Detroit Lions. Like I said, I’m not dwelling on the past. We had a great team win, and I’ve got my hands full with trying to get protected ‘Donkey Kong’ Suh and my fellow Auburn teammate Nick Fairley.

Q: What about Nick do you want to talk about? You look forward to going against him?

A: The position I’m in right now, I need to work on my timing to get prepared for this week. We look forward to the challenge on trying to have the offense execute on all cylinders come Sunday. We had an unbelievable practice today, everybody was flying around. My main focus is still trying to get on the same page with all my receivers, so come game time everything will be running smoothly.

Q: Ron and RV seemed to have the concern of an accordion hit. Are you concerned about that, do you think your ribs are healthy enough?

A: Playing this game, you cannot have nothing holding you back. If you’re thinking, you’re wrong automatically. The thing that makes the great players great, and that separates players from different players is, when you going out there whether being prepared or not, you have to react. And if you’re thinking, you’re already a step behind. So if I’m thinking about a particular injury, then I’m already a step behind. If I’m so gun shy in the pocket and not worried about the receivers that are open down field, something’s going to happen that’s not going to get the job done. So my main focus is having confidence in myself knowing that I’m able to be myself when I’m out there.

Q: This defensive line, Suh in particular, has a history of personal fouls and fines. Does that give you any pause as you get ready, especially given your ribs.

A: Playing your game, you cannot hold anything back. I’ve said that once and I’m going to say it again. I have full confidence in my offensive line. They had a great game last week themselves. I’m looking forward to those guys and depending on them, not just protecting myself, but having a great game as far as running the football as well.

Q: In that same vein of not being able to protect something, the play where you hurt your ribs, was there any possibly protecting your ankle the way that you went down?

A: That particular play, I wasn’t 100 percent. We knew that, everyone knew that going into that game. And every day it’s still a work in progress to get myself healthy. I didn’t feel I could outrun him to the sideline, but it’s been a move that I’ve been doing my whole career. It just happens. There was a dead spot in the shoulder pads. Will I do it again? Who knows. But coach has been working on the main focus on being smart, and knowing when to and when not to.

Q: Were you able to pick up on any keys watching the game from the sideline, watching your teammates from that perspective?

A: It was an eye-opening experience, something that I haven’t really ever been able to do in a live game. My main focus was trying to help D.A. and try to give him all the clues that I saw that could benefit him. The same thing that he does for me. So I was just trying to be a reliable teammate with not holding anything back. ‘If I see any signals, I’m going to give them to you. This is what I’m thinking.’ The plays that if I was in there what I would prefer. DA does and excellent job with keeping me posted throughout the game, and that’s all I was trying to do for him.

Q: Can you talk about your decision to run into the huddle during the timeout?

A: My main focus is the Detroit Lions. I think I’ve got my hands full with trying to find stay protected from ‘Donkey Kong’ Suh and my fellow Auburn teammate Nick Fairley.

Q: How pain-free are you right now?

A: I’m just trying to get 100 percent. Whether my ankle, my ribs, my toe, my head, toothache, doesn’t matter. And that’s been my main focus — trying to get as much treatment and staying on top of things so come Sunday I won’t be thinking about anything body-related. I can just go out there and play.

Q: Do you still have any soreness? You’ve talked about sleeping and sneezing and things like that.

A: It’s going to still happen, but nothing is hindering me from playing football, and that’s the great thing for me.

Q: The original timeline was four months on the ankle. Are you surprised that you’re still feeling some affects with the ankle?

A: I’m still surprised with me being hurt for this long. This is a culture shock for me, but it’s not about how Cam’s feeling. My thing is to execute the given play, execute the game plan to the best of my ability. If the option is for me to make a play when I have to, I will. Or I’ll put myself in the best situation to do so. But as an offense and as one of the leaders of this team, I have to make sure this game is about the Carolina Panthers, not about my health. Because when it comes down to it, it’s going to be the best team will win, not the best player. There are great players on both sides of the football, there’s no doubt about that. But it’s about executing the game plan and how each and every player’s going to put their signature on each and every play.

Q: When you look at them defensively, they obviously have a pretty stout front line. What do you see out of those guys and what makes them effective?

A: They’re very explosive. They’re very catlike, meaning very quick. And to be very big, very strong, and very fast in that realm that they’re in, it can be very dangerous for anybody to block. But like I said, I have unbelievable trust in my offensive line that they will get the job done. Not only them, but the running backs and as a quarterback, I have to do my job in getting the ball in the right people’s hands and doing what I do best.

Q: Because of what you’ve gone through the last few months, are you that much more excited for Sunday, or is it really just another game?

A: There’s not a Sunday that goes past that I’m not excited to play this game. I feel as if I’m a lucky individual to have the opportunity to play this game, and when I do have the opportunity to finally play, you can bet your last dollar I will be excited to play.

Q: Have the Panthers approached you or your representatives about a contract extension?

A: No sir. My main focus the Detroit Lions. I think I’ve got my hands full trying to stay protected from ‘Donkey Kong’ Suh and my fellow Auburn teammate Nick Fairley.

Q: When you said last week that outside of a car hitting you or having to run away from a tiger, you’d be out there on the field. Could you run away from the tiger this week?

A: I believe so. I hope so. I better if he’s on the field wearing an opposing team’s jersey. If that’s what you want to call them, than I have no doubt in my mind that I’ll be able to do so. But like I said, my main focus is not trying to focus on myself. It’s about the Carolina Panthers executing the given game plan offensively, defensively and special teams to get a big team win this week.

Q: Byron Bell played well, the whole line seemed to play well. Can you talk about Byron and what you saw in him?

A: It’s all about confidence with him, man. I seen him right before the game, and he had that smile on his face. Very excited to play, typical Byron Bell. And he’s ready to accept the challenge. Not only him, you’ve got Trai Turner out there playing a big role for this offensive line, being that he is a rookie, not having that rookie mentality though. Fernando, Bando as I call him, has been accepting the challenge as well. Kalil has been the staple on this offensive line like he’s been for so many years. Nate Chandler as well. And how can I forget Amini? Those guys have been working like I’ve never seen before. Studying and staying very close knit with going over different materials before the game, during the game, as well as the preparation before the game on the bus, it’s just been great to see. It’s been very encouraging to have confidence in those guys.

Q: Are you even more confident now after watching those guys perform in a real game, protecting Derek?

A: I don’t think I can be even more confident. Since day one, they’ve had my trust. In talking with each and every person on that offensive line, and even the subs, everybody’s excited to understand and know their role. We even went around the room and everybody said what they’re going to bring to this table. So it won’t be no type of question marks or what we’re expecting from this particular person. Everybody stood up and said what they’re going to do and everybody’s holding each other accountable. So whether it was a person saying ‘I’m going to bring the heart. I’m going to bring the mentality to win each and every play.’ That’s what we’re holding each other to, and they’re doing it as well.

Q: How much are you still rehabbing and treating your ankle?

A: Every single day. It’s kind of like a double bogey for me. Being able to have my ribs get treatment, as well as having the same amount of attention on my ankle. It’s been a long process and still it’s not 100 percent, and even it was, I’m not just going to stop right here. I’ve still got to continuously get better to put myself, as well as this team, in a better situation.

Q: Do you play golf?

A: I’ve tried to play golf. But I still have plastic on some of my clubs.

Q: Kelvin called his touchdown catch just ‘ok.’ Do you think it was more impressive.

A: If he said it was ok, it was ok. We all know that his talents are exceedingly overachieving, sort of speak. The things that he does may be wowing for some people, but for me it’s expected. When he makes the one-handed catches, when he makes the catch he did on Sunday, that’s just Benji being Benji for me. That’s just going back to what everybody said. Everybody said what they’re going to bring to the table. I’m holding him to an accountability, he’s holding me to accountability. And when he makes plays like that, it just justifies that he’s living up to his expectations.

Q: Not to belabor the contract deal, but a couple of guys from your guys got extended. Do you think that will happen in due time and are you confident in that process?

A: Like I said, my main focus right now is he Detroit Lions and trying to stay protected. I think I’ve got my hands full with trying to get protected from ‘Donkey Kong’ Suh and my fellow Auburn teammate Nick Fairley.

MAKING THE SAUSAGE

The transcript above shows Newton was asked 27 questions. On five occasions he provided an answer that included, “My main focus is on the Detroit Lions … I think I’ve got my hands full with trying to find ways to stay protected from ‘Donkey Kong’ Suh and my fellow Auburn teammate Nick Fairley.”That leaves 22 other answers that weren’t edited into this video.An ESPN producer pieced Newton’s similar responses together, an editing trick that usually produces entertaining results. The problem in this case was ESPN’s lack of transparency. They left out the fact those weren’t Newton’s only answers. But the video was out there, and the narrative began taking shape.From New York to Washington, D.C., from Deadspin to a local TV station that was actually there, outlets shared the video of the “only” answers Newton gave.Comparisons were made to Texans running back Arian Foster, who in July, used the same response to answer 11 questions. Not 33 questions with 11 similar answers, but 11-for-11. Yet Newton and Foster became one in the same because of a video that was edited without any further context.

DETROIT REACTS

Newton hands out nicknames often. In fact, it’s hard to think of anyone on the Panthers he hasn’t nicknamed. Many aren’t great, and some are so random they don’t make sense, but it’s his thing.Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has an interesting first name. A simple web search reveals people calling him ‘Donkey Kong’ since he starred at Nebraska. But in Detroit, the video of Newton continuously saying ‘Donkey Kong Suh’ was like manna from the heavens.Reporters labeled it bulletin board material inside the Lions locker room Thursday. It didn’t appear the actual players were all that upset, but that’s a detail similar to the one left out of the edited video.Then when Lions head coach Jim Caldwell made a radio appearance, the hosts tried to play him the audio, but Caldwell didn’t want to hear it. That must mean he’s infuriated, right? Or perhaps he didn’t care.Either way, no one delivered a HOT TAKE like Terry Foster of The Detroit News. He believes Newton owes Suh an apology, and wonders what would have happened if a white player had said the same thing.Foster also wrote, “It was Newton’s failed attempt to mock Houston Texans running back Arian Foster, who responded to every question with the same answer a few weeks ago.”It’s unclear how Terry Foster knew Newton was attempting to mock what Arian Foster did, but as we’ve seen, details don’t seem essential here.Actually, in a Twitter reply, Terry Foster may have revealed what may be most essential in this story:See, Cam: some things really are that easy.