New England Patriots: Captain Cam Newton now leading the way
The New England Patriots enter a season of challenge and change unlike any in recent memory as Cam Newton takes charge.
Sunday, September 13, 2020 is a day unlike any other for 20 years for the New England Patriots.
The Patriots will enter a season for the first time in almost two decades without Tom Brady leading the offense and the team. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Brady’s successor at quarterback is one of the best, a former NFL MVP himself, Cam Newton.
One has to say that if you are going to lose a great quarterback to free agency, it’s always best to replace him with another great quarterback. Brilliant. Yet, the New England Patriots have done just that. It’s been said that it’s a “match made in heaven”.
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It may very well be just that.
Brady left with bad feelings about his treatment in New England. Nobody here is going to say he didn’t have valid reasons. But No. 12 is now in Tampa. He’s no longer a part of Patriots’ Nation.
We have to move on, whether we like it or not. Fortunately, we have a chance to still be successful because of Newton, the Patriots’ lack of positive moves to assist him in his new offense notwithstanding. They have done a miserable job at wide receiver as an article pointed out.
But this missive is pointing to the positives of having the amazing Newton leading the way on offense. Without a doubt, he can make up for a myriad of offensive shortcomings with the sheer exertion of his will and his amazing skills at his position.
Neither Cam Newton nor probably anyone else has ever been like Brady as a drop-back passer. He’s set the standard for statuesque, relatively immobile pocket-passers, and will enter the Hall of Fame on the first ballot as a result.
But Newton offers a different skill set, a possibly even more exciting and enervating panoply of qualities that he brings to the table.
The New England Patriots and the running quarterback
Since the inimitable Steve Grogan (16 seasons in New England), the Patriots have not had what you might term a “running quarterback” who played a significant number of games. Grogan was a solid runner, but his running was for the most part (though not exclusively), scrambling to avoid a rush.
Newton, however, with his even more impressive physical skills can use the run as a defined weapon in the attack, albeit one that must not be overused. Risking injury by overuse in the running game is a prescription for disaster.
Yet, it is the threat of the run, especially in RPO plays, that makes Newton’s presence so much more valuable.
It will be prudent if New England utilizes his running prowess infrequently, the risk of injury is too great. Yet, the use of RPO plays without Newton’s necessarily tucking in the ball and running will still be an effective weapon to put NFL defenses off-guard.
Merely the threat of his running and gobbling up huge chunks of yardage will always be there. An occasional run will be just fine, thank you, to keep those defenses on their heels and open lanes for other runners or for the pass.
If one questions what New England Patriots fans should expect from their offense this season at this point, the answer is, no clue. Yet, whatever the ultimate determination by Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels, and company is, it’s sure to be amazing and thrilling to watch. Can’t wait.
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The new era begins on Sunday. What’s done is done. And what’s here is now. It’s time for Patriots’ fans to move on hopefully into a new era of Patriots domination. And it may not just be for the one year many prognosticators are intimating for Cam Newton.
If it works out, maybe he’ll be here for a bunch more, and who knows what might happen then. Maybe a new dynasty?
A Super Bowl title or two? It says here, don’t rule it out. Never, ever rule out the New England Patriots, especially when they have Cam Newton as their new captain, quarterback, and leader of their offense.