Can we finally stop pretending that Cam is good?

[crawhammer]

Newton COULD NOT make a throw representative of an NFL quarterback in 2020. He was absolutely terrible as a passing quarterback, that's irrefutable. For the most part he was effective as a runner, and overall the team ran the ball well, but the passing game was a disaster and apparently Belichick agrees.

Belichick is at least trying to bolster the roster... He's overpaying for much of it but I don't really care about that. If the team goes 7-9 again next season then we'll know who to blame. Same if the team succeeds. But obviously Kraft is not allowing Belichick to throw the kitchen sink at the roster for the team to suck again anytime soon. This FA rampage has also partially sprung from an accumulating poor yield of recent drafts, which is on Belichick too. And some want to continue denying it but Brady's immediate success with another franchise has made the Patriots organization look incredibly foolish. So that embarrassment served as motivation too.

Individually I wouldn't be too crazy about either TE (Smith or Henry) but together it's nice duo and an obvious upgrade to the position. I sort of feel the same about Agholor and Bourne however there's reason to be skeptical about Agholor who was a pretty big disappointment in Philly. In Gruden's offense last season his yards per target and yards per reception shot way up from his career averages. That won't be sustainable with Newton throwing him passes. And that's the biggest question to be answered... Is Belichick going to leave his revamped offense on the incapable arm of Cam Newton? Hard to fathom it based on what we just saw out of Newton last season. Newton is certainly carrying on (via social media outlets) like he's the guy for 2021, which if that holds true, then all of this FA maneuvering will be rendered futile.

 

[IcyPatriot]

I know many of us already agree on this. But there seems to be this faction of our fanbase/media that defends him at every corner, basically makmental gymnastics to try and justify why he’s not playing well.

His throwing mechanics are terrible.
His mechanics have eroded so badly that it makes him look like he’s about to throw his shoulder out of its socket every time he throws the ball. He was never the most well polished in regards to this, but could make it up with his physical style. He’s just not that guy anymore and really hasn’t been that guy since 2017 for the most part, aside from those rare glimpses of him being healthy.

Let’s stop this nonsense about how we should be giving him an extension, or even entertaining the idea of bringing him back at this point. This style of football is not sustainable in 2020. It’s not 1973. We can’t do another year of this. He won’t magically get healthy for a full season. He is done.

Ditto with Brian Hoyer. Let’s look elsewhere at QB. Please.

Define GOOD?

 

[BTTA]

To answer the OP's question: No. We must now either continue, or begin, to pretend that Newton is good.

 

[mikey m]

Except we know that cam had wide open guys and never saw them or threw to the wrong guy...plus play action was great at getting guys open...just not so great for Cam

You can literally find plays from any QB in any game where they missed open receivers.

 

[mikey m]

Newton COULD NOT make a throw representative of an NFL quarterback in 2020.

Verifiably false.

And some want to continue denying it but Brady's immediate success with another franchise has made the Patriots organization look incredibly foolish. So that embarrassment served as motivation too.

Ya, Belichick doesn't actually enjoy winning football games. If TB hadn't won the super bowl, the whole front office would be on vacation. We probably wouldn't even spend the minimum 89% of the cap this season..

 

[crawhammer]

Verifiably false.

Dude, Newton sucked as a passing quarterback last season. Was anyone worse at it? Heading into that meaningless week 17 pickup game against the Jets, he had 5 TD's and 10 INT's. WTF!

Ya, Belichick doesn't actually enjoy winning football games. If TB hadn't won the super bowl, the whole front office would be on vacation. We probably wouldn't even spend the minimum 89% of the cap this season..

Do you not understand the meaning of "too"?

 

[mikey m]

Dude, Newton sucked as a passing quarterback last season. Was anyone worse at it? Heading into that meaningless week 17 pickup game against the Jets, he had 5 TD's and 10 INT's. WTF!


Do you not understand the meaning of "too"?

However bad Newton was last season, your analysis and ability articulate it are worse. Have a good one kid.

 

[ensoul]

No question they've made some good moves but if Newton continues to be the quarterback then Buffalo still better than the Patriots.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

No question they've made some good moves but if Newton continues to be the quarterback then Buffalo still better than the Patriots.

what kind of improvement can we realistically expect to see out of newton this coming season?

 

[captain stone]

To make the comparison more interesting, let's consider the fact that the 2019 Patriots had two very distinct phases. They were a dominant team in the first part of the season, and an average/slightly below average team after a certain point around halfway in. That's not my subjective interpretation either, I'm just going off the W/L records.

Is it a coincidence that we went 7-9 the following year with a largely identical (if not worse) roster minus Brady? To me, that indicates we may have had the same 2020 results even with the GOAT. The late 2019 and 2020 teams were a lot more similar than people (especially the Brady people) want to admit.

The Patriots have always succeeded and failed as a team. I wish people would stop this black and white thinking about Brady/Belichick/whatever.

Yeah we lost AB, Edelman and Gordon got banged up and we were relying on Dorsett as our number 1 and started playing defenses that weren’t mega garbage we got rocked back to Earth and we played a harder schedule in 2020 and started at a lower point receiver wise with a new QB. This team was maybe 10-6 tops with Brady.

Yeah that's how I saw it too...Brady, even with the Worst TEs/WRs in Football, would've found a way to win 10 games here...but no more...And had they made the POs they would've very likely lost on Wild Card weekend.

 

[captain stone]

what kind of improvement can we realistically expect to see out of newton this coming season?

Realistically? Marginal at best...Similar completion % maybe, but with the same lousy YPA...and the same cartoonish TD/INT ratiio...and the fumbles...and the tipped passes...and the sacks taken...

 

[captain stone]

duplicate

 

[Scotty]

I have just been watching highlight clips of all the new TE's and WR's and I quickly asked my self could Cam make those throws to these receivers based on some of his play last year..........Ehhhhh ?

 

[sb1]

Realistically? Marginal at best...Similar completion % maybe, but with the same lousy YPA...and the same cartoonish TD/INT ratiio...and the fumbles...and the tipped passes...and the sacks taken...

Cam is done and Pick Six Stidham will not make the team. IMO the quarterback who will start the most games for the Pats in 2021 is not on the roster right now but will be soon. Could be a rookie.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

No question they've made some good moves but if Newton continues to be the quarterback then Buffalo still better than the Patriots.

I think the Bills are still better than us even if Cam plays ok. Depending on Tua second year jump and the player they could take at 3 Miami could be still better than us too. But those moves definitely put us on the right track to compete with those teams.

 

[Turkamu]

Looks to me like Bill is trying to build a team the same way they did when Brady took over or like the 2018 Rams recently. A good D that keeps games close, paired with a good OL and running game to shorten games. Just insert a QB that can complete a play action pass and protect the ball. I was hoping they would sign Alex Smith instead of Cam and try to get one of the rookie QBs to learn from him.

 

[amfootball]

Looks to me like Bill is trying to build a team the same way they did when Brady took over or like the 2018 Rams recently. A good D that keeps games close, paired with a good OL and running game to shorten games. Just insert a QB that can complete a play action pass and protect the ball. I was hoping they would sign Alex Smith instead of Cam and try to get one of the rookie QBs to learn from him.

I get the approach in a way but in today's league it is all about the passing game. Defenses can't stop all these college style offenses because of the rules. I know Bill likes to go counter culture but I just don't think that will work anymore. Not if the goal is winning chips. I think we can be a playoff team but not beat the powerhouses with that approach. You have to fight fire with fire. We need the Qb and an explosive passing game.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

I get the approach in a way but in today's league it is all about the passing game. Defenses can't stop all these college style offenses because of the rules. I know Bill likes to go counter culture but I just don't think that will work anymore. Not if the goal is winning chips. I think we can be a playoff team but not beat the powerhouses with that approach. You have to fight fire with fire. We need the Qb and an explosive passing game.

I agree and I think the last two years Ravens are the perfect example.

 

[RIpats88]

I get the approach in a way but in today's league it is all about the passing game. Defenses can't stop all these college style offenses because of the rules. I know Bill likes to go counter culture but I just don't think that will work anymore. Not if the goal is winning chips. I think we can be a playoff team but not beat the powerhouses with that approach. You have to fight fire with fire. We need the Qb and an explosive passing game.

I doubt bill is looking to just run when he signed all these pass catchers.

 

[PP2]

The Patriots most certainly can - and should - bench/inactivate any player not operating at full cognitive abilities.

Well that, for me, brings up the point- if they had known Covid Brian fog for what it now is, and its long term ramifications, wouldn't BB have done so?

They kept trying to play Cam, and that to me suggests they thought it was a playbook, timing/chemistry issue and that one day it would all click for him.

Many posters have brought issues up like injuries, lack of chemistry, and just flat out sucking, but to me (from watching all-22 clips) the biggest thing was how hard it was for him to progress through his reads. He was really slogging.

But we'll find out.