Patriots offseason gamble on Cam Newton was a worthwhile try that merely did not work out


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Should you have been attempting to encapsulate the Cam Newton expertise with the Patriots in 2020, the opening drive of Monday’s 38-9 loss to the Buffalo Payments is an ideal place to begin. It was on a second-and-13 try the place Newton dropped again to move, noticed Damiere Byrd racing towards the left pylon close to the tip zone, and delivered an ideal strike in stride. Landing, proper? Effectively, you’d suppose. As an alternative, the ball bounced off Byrd’s chest and fell incomplete, and New England needed to accept a discipline aim. 

Good, however not so good as it might’ve been. 

That has primarily been the slogan for Newton’s tenure with the Patriots, even when it has been by no fault of his personal. Issues simply have not clicked in addition to either side hoped it will when the veteran quarterback agreed to signal with New England and assist usher within the post-Tom Brady period this summer season. All year long, the passing recreation has been non-existent for the Patriots and has actually slowed as of late. Over the past 5 video games, Newton has totaled simply 515 yards by the air, which incorporates simply 34 yards passing towards Buffalo on Monday night time earlier than being despatched to the bench within the third quarter.

“It is extraordinarily irritating, realizing what you are able to, having perception in your self,” Newton stated postgame. “It is simply not displaying when it counts essentially the most.” 

Though you’ll be able to say that bringing Newton aboard hasn’t lived as much as the promise it had over the summer season months, it is a resolution that New England should not essentially remorse. Out of the Patriots’ offseason choices, particularly contemplating their cap state of affairs, Newton offered the potential of offering the largest returns. On the peak of his powers, Newton is a league MVP, which can’t be stated about Andy Dalton, Marcus Mariota or any of the opposite quarterbacks that would’ve realistically been within the Patriots’ crosshairs this offseason. He’d been snakebitten by shoulder and foot accidents over the previous couple of years coming into 2020 and there was a case to be made that, if he acquired proper, he’d be capable of get again to Tremendous Cam. 

Regardless of flashes of the Man of Metal — like this speeding landing throughout Monday’s loss — issues by no means totally got here collectively for Newton as most of his highlights because the Patriots quarterback have come on the bottom. 

Though using Newton’s legs is all nicely and good, having that primarily be the one method the Patriots offense can produce factors whereas he is underneath middle has confirmed to be unsustainable, which was evident in Monday’s loss. Josh Allen and the Payments rattled off 21 unanswered factors round halftime and Newton — by a scarcity of skill along with his arm and lack of weapons round him within the passing recreation — merely could not even start to dig the Patriots out of it. 

“it is disappointing,” he stated of the loss and his struggles. “However, you recognize, I am simply doing what I am requested to do, attempting to be one of the best participant for this workforce I can presumably be. That is what it’s ” 

When of us look again at this unprecedented down season in Foxborough, it’s going to be straightforward to say that the Patriots ought to have gone in a unique course at quarterback as soon as Brady signed his take care of Tampa Bay. Nevertheless it might be argued that Newton was the most suitable choice they’d in entrance of them. That features Jarrett Stidham, who Invoice Belichick has primarily admitted by his motion of not taking part in him that he isn’t a succesful beginning quarterback. If he was, he’d be taking part in. With that in thoughts, the in-house choices weren’t there for the Patriots and Newton had the very best ceiling of what was left. It is simply that he additionally had the bottom flooring, which New England is all too acquainted with because the workforce is about to go into Week 17 at 6-9 and on the skin trying in at the playoffs. 



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