New England Patriots: No, Cam Newton was not the best option in 2020

Why Cam Newton was not the best option for the New England Patriots in 2020.

It’s all hindsight now, but Cam Newton has turned out not to be the best option for the New England Patriots in the 2020 NFL season.

While there is still a slight chance Bill Belichick and the Patriots can grind into the playoffs, there are a 6-7 team mainly because of the quarterback play, or lack thereof.

Sure, it is unfair to blame Newton for all the team’s woes, especially offensively, but there are at least two games that the team lost that has to be put on the shoulders of Cam Newton.  A late quarter fumble against the Buffalo Bills and erratic play against the Denver Broncos are just two games one can pinpoint as reasons the team is in the position, they are in record wise.

More from Chowder and Champions

• 3 Patriots on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
• 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
• MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
• 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season

Not to say second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham or veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer would have had the team in better position to win those games, but one has to wonder if at least Stidham would’ve had the offense flowing a bit better with his arm than Newton in a few games this season, especially in Thursday night’s 24-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Cam Newton the best option in 2020?

According to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Cam Newton put the team in the best position to compete in 2020.  Here’s what McDaniels had to say about his quarterback during a conference call Friday:

"“Cam has certainly, he certainly has been the best option for us all year long since he earned the opportunity in training camp.  And look, whenever the offense struggles, I know the attention is always going to get turned to that position.  Me personally, it’s my responsibility to put us in a position to be more productive than we were last night.  Every time we struggle offensively and don’t score enough points to win the game, I know I need to do a better job.”"

While McDaniels is definitely not off the hook with some questionable play calling in a lot of the team’s losses this season, the Cam Newton Patriots fans started to get excited about following his Week 2 performance against the Seattle Seahawks never really returned from the COVID-19 list.

There has been a regression throwing the ball and he doesn’t appear as quick running the ball, which one has to wonder is more due to a lack of confidence than any injuries he may be grinding through.

So, as far as Cam Newton being the best option for the New England Patriots in 2020.  He certainly was on paper, but the team did have other options that they passed on.  They could’ve went after Andy Dalton who would’ve been better as far as pushing the ball downfield and they had a few opportunities to draft Jalen Hurts in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Perhaps they would’ve if the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t swoop in and draft him a couple spots before the Patriots, but Bill Belichick was too busy making trades to move back in the draft that took the team out of the position to draft him either late in the second or the beginning of the third round.

Speaking of young quarterbacks, whatever Jarrett Stidham did to take himself out of favor with the coaches could’ve been ironed out by now.  With what both McDaniels and Belichick did with a less-talented Matt Cassel back in 2008, one would think they would at least have Stidham playing at a high level this late in the season.

Again, it’s all hindsight now, but the 2015 version of Cam Newton the team and fans were hoping to get in 2020 never showed up, at least off the field.  He may very well be an option at quarterback, but definitely not the best option moving forward.

The New England Patriots quite simply need to see what they have in Jarrett Stidham the rest of this season and see if some of these young playmakers, particularly N’Keal Harry and the two rookie tight ends (Dalton Keen and Devin Asiasi) can be factors in the offense in 2021.  That is hard to do with a quarterback who can’t throw the ball.