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New England Patriots: Cam Newton being asked to do too much

By Tarringo Basile-vaughan

Oct 18, 2020; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton (1) throws under pressure from Denver Broncos linebacker Derrek Tuszka (48) during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2020; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton (1) throws under pressure from Denver Broncos linebacker Derrek Tuszka (48) during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New England Patriots are leaning too much on Cam Newton.  Why other players on offense must step up.

After battling against COVID-19 and a lack of practice over the last couple weeks, it was no surprise Cam Newton showed a lot of rust in the New England Patriots loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Still, he ended up being the team’s best offensive player.

After throwing two interceptions and scoring the team’s lone touchdown in the 18-12 frustrating loss to the Broncos, Newton put most of the blame on himself without making excuses.  He put the blame on himself for the lackluster performance of an offense that took a major hit along the offensive line.

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Besides that, the players they count on offensively like Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry and the running game did not show up which left Cam Newton literally throwing, running and catching the ball himself.  If the New England Patriots are to have success this season, Newton has to be part of that success offensively and not the lone success.

Cam Newton can’t be a one-man machine

During his appearance on The Greg Hill show Monday, CBS analyst and former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason was asked about what was ailing the Patriots’ offense.  Along with acknowledging they simply need “better players”, Esiason said the team is simply asking too much of Cam Newton.

"“Cam Newton is just being asked to do a lot,” Esiason said, as transcribed by WEEI.  “They’re asking him to run with it.  They’re asking him to throw it.  They’re throwing it to him.  There’s a lot of things going on with him.  He’s a great athlete.  When he plays great and he’s accurate and he’s getting the ball out on time, it’s fantastic to watch.  But this is what happened to him in Carolina when he was there.”"

Esiason went on to say there are obvious weaknesses on offense that needs to be addressed, but Cam Newton, being the football player, he is will continue to put it all on his shoulders without any complaints.

The former NFL quarterback is right when it comes to Newton.   With an obvious need of offensive playmakers, primarily at wide receiver and tight end, the Patriots quarterback still has extreme confidence in who he already has in the locker room.

Now, this pure performance against the Denver Broncos could be overreaction and simply a sign of a team that lacked practice, but they need Julian Edelman to be Julian Edelman.  They need N’Keal Harry to look like a first-round pick.  They need to start utilizing their two talented tight ends in Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene.

Better yet, they need to get healthy along the offensive line.  When David Andrews and Shaq Mason are able to return, the protection for Cam and the running game should be great, but the passing game has to be there to compliment it all.

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While it will be easy to look towards trades to find the answers, the New England Patriots have enough to be more than adequate on offense.  They simply have to execute, play with confidence and compliment the talent of Cam Newton instead of solely relying on it.

In summary, it’s not time to push the panic button, but the sky will definitely fall if this team falls to 2-4 this week and look like they did against the Broncos on a week with practice.

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