The New England Patriots upset the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football by a score of 23-17.
Happy to see Cam Newton back out there having fun and playing good. He owned every single one of his struggles this season and now he’s stringing together some good performances. pic.twitter.com/vLEQPjblEf
— Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) November 10, 2020
In any other year, this would not register as an upset, but for 2020’s Patriots team it is.
Patriots QB Cam Newton who has unfortunately been in his predecessor GOAT Tom Brady‘s shadow this season also broke a record that TB12 will never touch.
Cam Newton is the first QB in the Super Bowl era with 9 rush TD in his first 8 games of a season
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) November 16, 2020
Cam Newton
Breaking NFL records is not new to Cam Newton; he has been doing that since his 2011 rookie season when he earned these accolades.
- First player to throw for more than 400 yards in first two games of NFL career
- Set the rookie record for 4,051 passing yards
- 14 rushing TDs in one season is not just a rookie record; that is an NFL record.
Recall that Cam missed a game after contracting COVID-19, but he still could break his own 2011 record of 14 rushing TDs this season.
(Besides Cam, Arizona’s Kyler Murray also has a shot at Cam’s 2011 rushing TD record as he has 10 rushing TDs this season.)
The 2011 Cam Newton set records with both his arm and legs; 2020 Cam Newton is doing it with his legs.
Cam’s arm has been less active in terms of TD passes; he has only thrown 3 TDs this season.
New England Patriots
The Patriots have struggled to find their footing in the post Tom Brady era.
Dealing with injuries and COVID-19 are not uncommon among NFL teams this year, but for some reason the Patriots lack depth to overcome these issues.
Brady and Gronk have left the building; Julian Edelman is still there but dealing with injuries.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels (who accepted and turned down the head coaching position in Indianapolis a couple of years ago to stay with Belichick and Brady) talks about the adjustments the Patriots are continually making to incorporate Cam into the offense.
“Cam’s been very consistent since I first met him. He loves the game of football. He also loves working really hard…It’s different…You take the strengths of the players that you have and you try to put them in the positions to be successful that they have the most confidence in. Whether it is some version of an adjustment in the running game, some ability to use his legs or his size and strength, we’ve tried to do some of all of that. At the same time, the most important thing for us and for Cam is to run the offense.”
Will Cam Be A Patriot in 2021?
He signed a 1 year deal for $1.75 million to play with the Patriots in 2020.
There has not been a formal discussion of contract negotiations or an extension as of yet.
Cam wants to be a starting quarterback, but the Patriots may seek a veteran QB from elsewhere.
Not to mention, the 2021 NFL Draft is already projected to be a quarterback-friendly one with top tier and second tier QBs available should they forego their final year of eligibility in college.
The best way for Cam to improve his job security is to keep winning.
Patriots Playoff Chances
Cam Newton (to @TheGregHillShow) on Bill Belichick's words to the team: "Coach said it best — we are a good enough team to be better than what our record kind of displays (4-5). We're just finding that out."
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 16, 2020
At 4-5, the Patriots are seemingly trying to right the ship winning two straight after dropping to 2-5.
They are in 3rd place in the AFC East behind 7-3 Buffalo and a surprising 6-3 Miami.
The Patriots have a tough schedule with what could be an interesting game with the surging Arizona Cardinals and one game each with Buffalo and Miami.
New England beat Miami in their first meeting (but lost to Buffalo) so that is worth mentioning if divisional standings come down to using tiebreakers.
The playoffs are not out of reach so it should be a fun second half of the season watching Cam and the Patriots work their way into them.
NEXT: Patriots Nearing Full Strength For Week 10 Matchup
