Call me crazy, but Cam's Instagram sounds like he's gonna be on the bench for these last 2 weeks

[Ross12]

I realize this crap is ridiculous to read, so I have graciously translated into English below:

Dear Patriot Nation, I will be the FIRST to tell you that THIS YEAR HAS BEEN UNNACEPTABLE in more ways than ONE!! and the standard has been and ALWAYS have been set; and unfortunately we (I) did NOT live up to what that standard was at all times or CONSISTENTLY enough!! with that being said the answer(s) is(are) in the locker room and one thing I do know about this bunch is that this locker room is filled with guys who WANT TO BE APART OF THE SOLUTION including me!! all things considered; you will NOT see any "finger pointing" or "excuse making" but more accountability being placed on the guys(me) to get the job done!! I think I speak for myself and others when I say CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!! #theJOYisINthePROCESS #KNOWtheSTANDARD #BEtheSTANDARD #LIVEupTOtheSTANDARDdaily #shineTHRUtheSHADE

So, yeah, the way he is saying "I did not live up to what that standard was at all times" in past tense makes me think maybe he's not starting this week... then he mentions the "finger pointing"/"excuse making" which seems to be a reference to his "guys that don't get it" talk the other day, I am really feeling like it's gonna be Stidham this week.

What say you? Am I reading too deeply into it? I like the post either way, he has the right attitude and has been a great leader, he just played like sh*t for like 85% of the year.

 

[StockingAnarchyNumber12]

I'm more worried that this means he knows hes coming back next season since it could potentially be read that way

 

[Ross12]

I'm more worried that this means he knows hes coming back next season since it could potentially be read that way

I think it reads more that he wants to come back and wants to put the work in if given that chance, not that he necessarily "knows" he'll be back.

I also saw that Belichick was pestered on the radio about if a change at QB is warranted, and he pretty much avoided the question repeatedly by answering that they always ask that question. They pressed him (too much really) about it and he mainly just said they have a lot of issues and have to evaluate everything. At face value, that sounds like "Cam is still our QB" but refusing to answer directly leaves the door open for a potential change... If they did make that change I can see the value in keeping it under wraps this week to keep the pressure off, and obviously for game-planning purposes. The Bills will probably be planning on stacking the box heavily and not necessarily be prepared for a guy who can actually throw a little bit.

 

[StockingAnarchyNumber12]

I think it reads more that he wants to come back and wants to put the work in if given that chance, not that he necessarily "knows" he'll be back.

I think Cam is in trouble if we don't resign him. I don't see who would take the chance on him. I'll say this. I could almost picture a scenario where we bring him back for cheap in camp and let him compete with another veteran. However, Cam will lose the starting job and might end up being our substitute QB. If Cam can't accept that then he'll be released.

I would take Cam back as a 2nd string QB.

 

[Ross12]

I think Cam is in trouble if we don't resign him. I don't see who would take the chance on him. I'll say this. I could almost picture a scenario where we bring him back for cheap in camp and let him compete with another veteran. However, Cam will lose the starting job and might end up being our substitute QB. If Cam can't accept that then he'll be released.

I would take Cam back as a 2nd string QB.

I think at this point he's been humbled and would accept competing for the job here or elsewhere. He can be a good backup. I think he can start on some teams, but they'd really need a lot of offensive talent on the outside to force the defense to respect the pass at least a little. I do question, though, if keeping him on as the backup next year may cause locker room discontent (unless, of course, his replacement is head and shoulders above him talent-wise)

 

[jdlboot14]

I'm more worried that this means he knows hes coming back next season since it could potentially be read that way

It's almost like he's asking the fans to let him come back - BB consistently does the opposite of what most of the fans want... soooooo....

 

[Ochmed Jones]

We have to lose these last two games to have a chance of picking 13th or 14th. Therefore we need Newton on the field doing what he does best, keeping us from winning.

 

[ashley]

Ross, thanks for translating. lol...after the first sentence my head was ready to explode.

I don't want to read to much into it, but it just makes too much sense. I don't think he'll be starting the last two games and probably won't be back next season. That's my take....possibly wishful thinking.

 

[lancerman]

We have to lose these last two games to have a chance of picking 13th or 14th. Therefore we need Newton on the field doing what he does best, keeping us from winning.

Or we could just have Stidham throw 20 interceptions. Either one works. Also I will happily accept back up QB money for two games. I will ensure we get that 13th or14th pick

 

[upstater1]

I feel bad for him. But he can't throw well. What is wrong with his arm? His shoulder looks so stiff. He looks like a shot putter out there. He has to know a QB's main thing is throwing the ball.

 

[oldrover]

Ross, thanks for translating. lol...after the first sentence my head was ready to explode.

LOL... i was more like...

 

[Ross12]

Or we could just have Stidham throw 20 interceptions. Either one works. Also I will happily accept back up QB money for two games. I will ensure we get that 13th or14th pick

I feel like the "omg Stidham will throw so many INTs!!!" argument is rendered null and void when the starting QB is turning it over so damn often. Will Stidham throw 3 INTs a game? Maybe. But Cam is good for at least 1 INT and 1 fumble per game, so... is that really a big deal right now?

 

[sb1]

I feel bad for him. But he can't throw well. What is wrong with his arm? His shoulder looks so stiff. He looks like a shot putter out there. He has to know a QB's main thing is throwing the ball.

Damaged goods. Pats got what they paid for unfortunately.

 

[Ross12]

Ross, thanks for translating. lol...after the first sentence my head was ready to explode.

I don't want to read to much into it, but it just makes too much sense. I don't think he'll be starting the last two games and probably won't be back next season. That's my take....possibly wishful thinking.

I had to sit there with the Instagram post on one half of my screen and the the forum post draft on the other, hand-typing each word and double-checking myself repeatedly. Head didn't explode, but there's definitely some level of hemorrhaging in there.

 

[jmt57]

Newton as a backup to somebody like Kyler Murray (or maybe Daniel Jones) - in the same way Robert Griffin is the backup to Lamar Jackson - makes the most sense for both those teams as well as the player.

Otherwise Cam's best use is as a scout team QB, for when a team is about to play an opponent that has a very mobile QB.


I don't really see his value with the 2021 Patriots. If Newton is indeed considered to be a leader in the locker room, then that could potentially lead to a fissure when the new QB has a bad game or two. It's not all that different from the rational of why businesses prefer to part ways with what had been a valuable employee, rather than demote them - and create a potential situation where other employees remain loyal, undermining the new leader's authority.

 

[lancerman]

I feel like the "omg Stidham will throw so many INTs!!!" argument is rendered null and void when the starting QB is turning it over so damn often. Will Stidham throw 3 INTs a game? Maybe. But Cam is good for at least 1 INT and 1 fumble per game, so... is that really a big deal right now?

Cam has 6 fumbles on the year and only one was lost (Buffalo game). And then he has 10 Interceptions which would put him in a 3 way tie with for 10th place with Roethlisberger and Herbert. Wentz, Lock, Wilson, Ryan and Brady all have more. Neither stat is alot.

Cam's biggest issue statistically speaking is that this he is

1. Poor on TD passes (now part of that is that he runs them in so he really contributes about so you have to factor that he's contributed about 16 total TD's to the team, which is still low and not all of them could be converted to passing TD's)

2. He has the least attempts of anybody who has started as many games as him this year (there's literally guys who have 200 more attempts that started the same number of games and everyone below Cam on attempts started atleast 3 less games than him on the year). That means his percentages are absymal on both counts. For where he is in yards, he's about where it statistically makes sense to be (which is he's a little under middle of the pack in yards per attempt and his he ranks in yards 25th on the year which is exactly where his attempst rank is. I

I would say the bigger issue is he's not finishing drives than him being turnover prone.

Also worth noting that Stidham because he's usually come in when the team was behind actually is averaging far more passes. He's played about a games worth of snaps and has 33. If you extrapolate that out to 13 games it's 101 more attempts on the year than Newton and he'd be alot more middle of the pack. Now he doesn't qualify for anything like TD% or INT% because it's way to low a sample size. But if you actually ran the numbers (which again far to low a sample size to be fair) he's worse in INT's but better in TD passes. But again low sample size and take that with a grain of salt because there's also the whole issue of accounting for Cam's rushing TD's which play a role in all that. Stidham. Cam also on average has a better yard per average per game than Stidham's one 33 attempt sample counted as a game.

Basically it's very hard to statistically judge the QB's on this team because they have anomalies compared to other players but what we are seeing is a lack of production across the board which makes everything more costly.

 

[Toofy]

Cam has 6 fumbles on the year and only one was lost (Buffalo game). And then he has 10 Interceptions which would put him in a 3 way tie with for 10th place with Roethlisberger and Herbert. Wentz, Lock, Wilson, Ryan and Brady all have more. Neither stat is alot.

Cam's biggest issue statistically speaking is that this he is

1. Poor on TD passes (now part of that is that he runs them in so he really contributes about so you have to factor that he's contributed about 16 total TD's to the team, which is still low and not all of them could be converted to passing TD's)

2. He has the least attempts of anybody who has started as many games as him this year (there's literally guys who have 200 more attempts that started the same number of games and everyone below Cam on attempts started atleast 3 less games than him on the year). That means his percentages are absymal on both counts. For where he is in yards, he's about where it statistically makes sense to be (which is he's a little under middle of the pack in yards per attempt and his he ranks in yards 25th on the year which is exactly where his attempst rank is. I

I would say the bigger issue is he's not finishing drives than him being turnover prone.

Also worth noting that Stidham because he's usually come in when the team was behind actually is averaging far more passes. He's played about a games worth of snaps and has 33. If you extrapolate that out to 13 games it's 101 more attempts on the year than Newton and he'd be alot more middle of the pack. Now he doesn't qualify for anything like TD% or INT% because it's way to low a sample size. But if you actually ran the numbers (which again far to low a sample size to be fair) he's worse in INT's but better in TD passes. But again low sample size and take that with a grain of salt because there's also the whole issue of accounting for Cam's rushing TD's which play a role in all that. Stidham. Cam also on average has a better yard per average per game than Stidham's one 33 attempt sample counted as a game.

Basically it's very hard to statistically judge the QB's on this team because they have anomalies compared to other players but what we are seeing is a lack of production across the board which makes everything more costly.

One of stidhams interception is on edelman.. take that away and his stats look decent...

 

[lancerman]

One of stidhams interception is on edelman.. take that away and his stats look decent...

Take that away and he still would have a higher INT percentage than Cam and would effectively average 2INT in what is basically a 1 game sample size. Likewise I could play the same game with Cam's stats and say "count his rushing TD's" and all of a sudden he's probably on pace to go about 20TD's and 12INT's as the lowest volume passer in the league.

Cam is not bad in INT's this year either. He's a little lower than middle of the pack. 2/3rds of the league has 8 or more. Cam has 10. You can easily find an INT or 2 this year that wasn't Cam's fault and make him look pretty good in INT's if you play it that way.

Everything is percentage based and across the board we are just getting low volume. Cam has less pass attempts than his peers. It makes every pass alot more valuable. If a receiver doesn't get openened or drops an easy pass, it's more crucial, if Cam throws a pass into the dirt or it gets blocked, it's more of a miss because he just isn't having as many opportunities to make up for it. When you get to the redzone he's more likely to run it in or hand it off to get the TD because that volume is lower so naturally he has a lower passing TD percentage. INT's become more crucial again because it's on a precious few pass attempts, but if you are down in a game or are trying to get a drive that stalled out going you are going to take a low percentage throw anyways which is going to impact INT's

That's just on a statistical basis. Eye test what I see with Cam is a guy who has been coached to be ultra conservative this year who also lacks strong fundamental mechanics compounded by a spotty at best offensive line and a receiver corp that is not consistently getting seperation. On top of all that you have a lack of volume in passing opportunity

 

[sb1]

One of stidhams interception is on edelman.. take that away and his stats look decent...

Maybe but Stidham was not blameless and there’s no reason to take it away. It was a bad decision to throw to that check down which was covered completely on the route. If not picked it was a negative play.

 

[NormZauchin]

I think at this point he's been humbled and would accept competing for the job here or elsewhere. He can be a good backup. I think he can start on some teams, but they'd really need a lot of offensive talent on the outside to force the defense to respect the pass at least a little. I do question, though, if keeping him on as the backup next year may cause locker room discontent (unless, of course, his replacement is head and shoulders above him talent-wise)

I'd sign him as a backup running back.