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New England Patriots: Cam Newton critics chew on this indisputable fact

By Michael DeVito

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 28: Cam Newton #1 of the New England Patriots carries the ball as Quinton Jefferson #90 of the Buffalo Bills defends during the first half at Gillette Stadium on December 28, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 28: Cam Newton #1 of the New England Patriots carries the ball as Quinton Jefferson #90 of the Buffalo Bills defends during the first half at Gillette Stadium on December 28, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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New England Patriots Julian Edelman (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
New England Patriots Julian Edelman (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

The New England Patriots receiving statistics versus the Super Bowl Champions

A previous article explained why re-signing Cam Newton would be a good decision. Once again, let’s put some pertinent facts on the table.

Newton’s completion percentage was 65.8 percent in 2020. Tom Brady’s was 65.7 percent. Usually, the completion percentage is a good indication of the performance of a quarterback.

And that was largely without Julian Edelman who caught a meager 21 passes before going out for the year with an injury. Edelman caught 100 the prior year you may recall.

Low completion percentage usually equals poor results. A good completion percentage mostly equals good or very good results on offense depending on what happens with the pigskin after the receiver hauls it in.

It doesn’t seem like rocket science to understand the principle. Yet, Newton defied this logic by having a solid completion percentage without great results. The answer to this contradiction lies totally on the receiving end.

Yet media observers, including some of the very best, continue with commentary panning Newton’s performance last season based on his touchdowns and interceptions and his lack of throwing yardage. Let’s again compare what he had at his disposal with what Brady had.

Brady had a top complement of people in his offense to catch the ball. They included Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin, each of whom was better than any Patriots receiver or tight end. Again, I’ll remind you of the stats.

Brady had three wide receivers with 45 or more catches and his wide receivers caught 29 touchdown passes. Newton had two wide receivers with more than 45 catches and his wideouts totaled 4 TD passes.

Brady’s tight ends caught 84 passes with 11 TD catches. Newton’s tight ends had 18 catches and one touchdown. So combined, Brady’s wideouts and tight ends had 40 touchdowns. Newton’s had five.

Keep those stats in mind when seeking to compare the two last season. Yet remember, those statistics notwithstanding, Newton had a better completion percentage than Brady.

Clearly, any attempt to blame Cam Newton for the woes of the passing offense and the demise of the 2020 New England Patriots is specious, at best.

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