Cam expected to start on MNF

[jdlboot14]

Stid is immobile and the Patriots offense is simply not built around the receivers and TEs. The former is the second worst in the league. The latter is the worst. This may be as simple as the coaching staff looking at the offense’s limited strengths - an excellent run blocking OL and solid stable of backs (if Harris is healthy) - and going with the guy who has the best chance of moving the chains within the constraints of the offense.

You can't call Stid "immobile", he actually moves quite well, and has run when he needs to. Just because he's not a "running QB" does not make him immobile.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

It's certainly a reasonable theory.

If that is what BB is doing, it tells us how remarkable Tom's appearance Week 2 in 2001 was (and/or how desperate BB was)

And if Stidham does not start in Week 17 than my theory is rubbish. We will see.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

Asinine. There is obviously some agreement between Belichick & Cam behind the scenes.

I thought Bill did what was best for the football team. Is that out the window now?

being a man of your word is best for the football team

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Speculation.
BB doing Cam a solid by starting him so he can legit hit incentives. I buy this.
Also BB does not want Stidham to have to face the MNF hype pre game. Start & play Cam the entire first half. If game is close, keep Cam in, but if not, say after the 1st series of 3rd Qtr and no score then play Stidham rest of game. If he does not belcown himself with picks, fumbles, delay of game penalties and WTF passes into the dirt or sailing thru the uprights, then the Lord of the Stidh starts again vs the vaunted NYJ next week.

 

[Kontradiction]

You can't call Stid "immobile", he actually moves quite well, and has run when he needs to. Just because he's not a "running QB" does not make him immobile.

He’s a pocket passer. Do you think teams at this level are game planning at all for what he can do with his legs? Sure, he’s not Brady as a runner, but he’s no threat to burn you as a runner. That’s why, when he has seen action, you’ve seen defenses focus solely on getting upfield and collapsing the pocket vs an emphasis on containing the edges. Nevertheless, my point stands. The offense, as it’s currently constructed, does not take advantage of the strengths of a pocket passer. That’s why Cam, as god awful as he’s been, is still starting.

 

[Ring 6]

My point is that it is his choice, not theirs.

I think it would have been 50-50 if they asked. He signed with SF this week.

Wait. You think that if belichick offered Rosen a contract and a spot on the 53 man roster in October, November or any time, he would have said no I want to stay in Miami behind tua and Fitzpatrick and get practice squad pay? There is literally no chance of that.
New England probably would have been his top choice because he would be playing for belichick and have a clear path to play on a team that is qbtarded

 

[Ring 6]

Speculation.
BB doing Cam a solid by starting him so he can legit hit incentives. I buy this.
Also BB does not want Stidham to have to face the MNF hype pre game. Start & play Cam the entire first half. If game is close, keep Cam in, but if not, say after the 1st series of 3rd Qtr and no score then play Stidham rest of game. If he does not belcown himself with picks, fumbles, delay of game penalties and WTF passes into the dirt or sailing thru the uprights, then the Lord of the Stidh starts again vs the vaunted NYJ next week.

Belichick should be fired if he is doing that.
You don’t play a player who doesn’t deserve to play so he can arm an incentive he doesn’t deserve and hurt your teams cap.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Belichick should be fired if he is doing that.
You don’t play a player who doesn’t deserve to play so he can arm an incentive he doesn’t deserve and hurt your teams cap.

I would agree were Stidham demonstrably superior and being held out. I believe that clearly he isn't, so playing him at season's end to check to see if your practice experience judgement is valid in a real game situation that does not hurt the team is fine.
BB has done guys a solid before that "hurt the cap". It may be a big factor why he's able to attract FAs.

 

[Thelonious]

The only reason I can think of for letting Cam play at all—let alone start—is his playtime incentives. Cam needs about one half of play to get to 80% for the season. If he's benched for the remaining two games, he won't reach it. Because he's not under contract for next year, there is no easy way for the Patriots to pay him that incentive if he doesn't earn it himself. [There's no way he can reach the 90% incentive.]

He didn't earn his incentives, so he doesn't deserve them.

 

[lancerman]

You can't call Stid "immobile", he actually moves quite well, and has run when he needs to. Just because he's not a "running QB" does not make him immobile.

Cam's career is that of a run QB who was just good enogh passing that he was a multi pronged threat. He was always more potent of a runner. This team is currently a run first team. The QB has less attempts passing than anybody else who started as long as he has this year and accounts for more than double our rushing TD's and is our second most productive rusher.

Stidham will never duplicate that, he is a pocket passer who isn't a very good pocket passer. So you are basically taking away a huge piece of our most prominent offensive aspect and having a mediocre pocket passer lean into the worst WR/TE core in the league.... and that is supposed to make us better?

It would be one thing if the offense completely transformed everytime Stidham hits the field. But really all we've seen is that is either very bad or merely matches what Cam has been doing passing (aka just taking a beating and getting sacked in the Rams game) without the run threat.

 

[Ring 6]

I would agree were Stidham demonstrably superior and being held out. I believe that clearly he isn't, so playing him at season's end to check to see if your practice experience judgement is valid in a real game situation that does not hurt the team is fine.
BB has done guys a solid before that "hurt the cap". It may be a big factor why he's able to attract FAs.

The argument was he is playing newton so he can earn a bonus.
Stidham has not been given a chance to play. Whether you think he is a potential star, totally sucks or anywhere in between you have an opportunity to confirm it at zero risk.
Belichick doesn’t attract free agents because he gives away undeserved bonusses to players who are hurting his team, he attracts free agents because he is about team and winning over everything else.
Screwing his team so cam Newton can make more money for sucking goes against everything he has ever believed in.

 

[denverpatsfan]

He’s a pocket passer. Do you think teams at this level are game planning at all for what he can do with his legs? Sure, he’s not Brady as a runner, but he’s no threat to burn you as a runner. That’s why, when he has seen action, you’ve seen defenses focus solely on getting upfield and collapsing the pocket vs an emphasis on containing the edges. Nevertheless, my point stands. The offense, as it’s currently constructed, does not take advantage of the strengths of a pocket passer. That’s why Cam, as god awful as he’s been, is still starting.

Winner right here. Moving forward this team does not want a pocket passer either. The league has changed. Time for this team's offense to change too.

 

[PP2]

Winner right here. Moving forward this team does not want a pocket passer either. The league has changed. Time for this team's offense to change too.

Not true.

The number of quarterbacks that have won a superbowl are overwhelmingly pocket passers, historically speaking.

A pocket passer is always going to stand the test of time.

 

[Ring 6]

Winner right here. Moving forward this team does not want a pocket passer either. The league has changed. Time for this team's offense to change too.

I really doubt that.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Not true.

The number of quarterbacks that have won a superbowl are overwhelmingly pocket passers, historically speaking.

A pocket passer is always going to stand the test of time.

I hope this team can find a mobile QB. The Mahomes of the league are winning and will continue to do so. Times have changed. The rules have changed. Offenses have changed. The Pats need to change. The future Pats QB is TBD. It won't be Stidham

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Over the last 21 seasons, there are two things I've learned about Bill Belichick:

1) He puts the team on the field at the start of a game that he feels gives the Patriots the best chance to win the game, the only exception being when he wants to protect a starter or two for the playoffs...but even then he'd start Brady for a couple of drives or the first half in Week 17 even with #1 seed wrapped up.

2) He rarely makes mistakes in game planning and in-game adjusting...you can question a call or two he's made during a game (FG opportunity early in XLII, Fourth and Two...and a few others), but his record speaks for itself otherwise. Hard to argue with the best HC W/L percentage in the history of the NFL.

Newton, to say the least, has not set the League on fire this year. But he's also had the worst receiver corps (WR and TE combined), a marginal OL and an, at best, inconsistent backfield. He's never griped. He's been a Team player all the way.

I'm pretty sure that BB and Josh know what they have in Stidham.

In other words, while it's highly probable that the Patriots will lose this game, if they thought starting Stidham on Monday gave the Pats a better chance of winning, that's what they would be doing.

 

[50-yard-line]

Could be. Or they want to play Stidham half the game this week and the full game next week to ease him in. Otherwise it makes no sense because they have not made another move like signing Rosen, or trading for someone, or whatever. Starting with a rookie next year means we are on the 3+ year plan unless we draft Mahomes part II.

I guess there could already be an understanding of an off season trade - our 1st or 2nd for JimmyG for instance - so playing Stidham is not that important because he will be the 2021 backup. I am searching to understand anything in this situation. Bill definitely answered the question differently this week, he did not say, "Cam is our QB", so the discuss happened.

It will not be fun to watch Cam drill another 5+ divits in the turf next Monday. OH WELL - this too will pass Merry Christmas everyone!

If the Pats trade our first (we don't have a second) for Jimmy G and that contract, they are positively insane. only way Jimmy G comes here would be if SF moved on and spent the $$ on, say, Matt Ryan (Shanahan loves Matty Ice). Never mind the 1st-round pick, there's no way Jimmy G is worth his contract at this point - he can't stay on the field, and even the year he did, he was a game manager in a historically run-heavy offense.

I do think he could flourish here and, if he somehow stays healthy, become worth top-end $$, but right now, no way.

 

[TheRazorsEdge]

BB can override the contact and pay Cam his incentives. He doesn't have to put him out there. That would be solid.

Bill is letting Cam get through the growing pains of being in a new system/offense because he'll likely be here next year.

Some folks are still in the anger/denial stage of this.

 

[Ring 6]

Over the last 21 seasons, there are two things I've learned about Bill Belichick:

1) He puts the team on the field at the start of a game that he feels gives the Patriots the best chance to win the game, the only exception being when he wants to protect a starter or two for the playoffs...but even then he'd start Brady for a couple of drives or the first half in Week 17 even with #1 seed wrapped up.

2) He rarely makes mistakes in game planning and in-game adjusting...you can question a call or two he's made during a game (FG opportunity early in XLII, Fourth and Two...and a few others), but his record speaks for itself otherwise. Hard to argue with the best HC W/L percentage in the history of the NFL.

Newton, to say the least, has not set the League on fire this year. But he's also had the worst receiver corps (WR and TE combined), a marginal OL and an, at best, inconsistent backfield. He's never griped. He's been a Team player all the way.

I'm pretty sure that BB and Josh know what they have in Stidham.

In other words, while it's highly probable that the Patriots will lose this game, if they thought starting Stidham on Monday gave the Pats a better chance of winning, that's what they would be doing.

Qb is 90% of the problem.
The RBs have 305 carries for 1448 yards in 14 games. That’s a 4.7 you and over 100 a game and you call them AT BEST INCONSISTENT while defending the worst QB in the league. Unbelievable.

 

[Ring 6]

BB can override the contact and pay Cam his incentives. He doesn't have to put him out there. That would be solid.

Bill is letting Cam get through the growing pains of being in a new system/offense because he'll likely be here next year.

Some folks are still in the anger/denial stage of this.

If Newton is back I would support firing belichick and getting him treatment for dimentia.