Belichick probably ranks Newton’s 2013 performance, a 24-20 Carolina win on Monday Night Football, somewhere around his tenure as Jets head coach on his list of favorite things to reminisce about. Of all likely starters in the NFL this season, only Nick Foles (1-0), Lamar Jackson (1-0), and Newton have played the Patriots and never lost.Įven if it weren’t rare for New England to struggle against a quarterback like they have against Newton, those two Patriots-Panthers games would be hard to forget. Others with losing records against Belichick’s Pats are Patrick Mahomes (1-2), Peyton Manning (8-12), Aaron Rodgers (1-2), Philip Rivers (1-8), Ben Roethlisberger (4-9), and Deshaun Watson (1-2). Some quarterbacks who have never beaten the Patriots include Matt Ryan, Kirk Cousins, Andrew Luck, Tony Romo, and Carson Palmer. What Cam Newton Means for the Patriots’ Post-Brady Evolution The Patriots Have Cam Newton. It should be noted when considering these figures that the Patriots are, you know, usually good. Those two games he’s played against the Patriots-one in 2013, the other in 2017-are two of the best of his career. Newton’s 72 percent completion rate against Belichick’s defenses is second only to his mark against the Steelers, and his 7.1 yards per carry are topped only by performances against the Texans and Dolphins. His passer rating (128.2) and yards per attempt (9.2) are better against the Patriots than against any other opponent. He’s 2-0 against New England with 525 passing yards, 106 rushing yards, six passing touchdowns, and one interception in those games. By Bill Belichick’s logic, if you can’t beat them, sign them. As Devin McCourty said, Newton has played astonishingly well against the Patriots, which makes him similar to players New England has signed in the past. The Patriots have their final exhibition Sunday evening against the Giants.Newton is a Patriot, Tom Brady is a Buccaneer, and these are strange times indeed. Even if he doesn't quite take it all the way down to the wire, Belichick isn't likely to name his starter before the end of the preseason. Given the stylistic differences between his two quarterbacks, coach Bill Belichick may see an advantage in waiting until the last second to name his guy for the Sept. In any case, Newton returned to practice Thursday and assumed his usual spot, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be the Week 1 starter. The day before, Jones reportedly put on a show while leading the first-team offense, taking advantage of his opportunity with Newton sidelined for a third straight day due to a misunderstanding of the NFL's COVID-19 protocols. Newton also took the first snap in a warmup period and again in 7-on-7s, while rookie Mac Jones was second through the rotation each time. Newton took the first snap in 11-on-11s at Thursday's joint practice with the Giants, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reports. Head coach Matt Rhule will then likely weigh the Week 16 performances of both quarterbacks before determining which of the two will get the starting nod in the penultimate game of the regular season next week in New Orleans. Rapoport's report notes that if Darnold fares well in his initial snaps Sunday, he could end up playing a substantial amount, which makes it difficult to trust Newton in weekly leagues. He's looked better from a fantasy perspective thanks to the 169 rushing yards and four scores on the ground he's accrued during that stretch, but as a 32-year-old veteran on an expiring deal, Newton may be less of a priority for the 5-9 Panthers than Darnold, who resumed practicing Wednesday and will put an end to a six-week absence Sunday after he was reinstated from injured reserve. Newton's return to Carolina hasn't been an overly successful one, as the Panthers have gone 0-4 in his starts while he's completed only 54.1 percent of his throws for 5.6 yards per attempt. Newton will start Sunday's game against the Buccaneers but is expected to cede snaps to Sam Darnold (shoulder), who could supplant Newton as the team's starter for the final two games of the regular season, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
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