FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 18: Cam Newton #1 of the New England Patriots throws a ball during training camp at Gillette Stadium on August 18, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steven Senne-Pool/Getty Images)Despite pulling off an upset over the Arizona Cardinals this past weekend, there are serious concerns about the New England Patriots’ passing attack. Cam Newton completed just 50 percent of his passes for 84 yards and two interceptions.
This has been a tough year for Newton, who currently has four touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. It’s becoming more clear by the day that he’s inconsistent as a passer. However, the Patriots still have a ton of confidence in the former MVP.
When asked if he still has faith in Newton as a passer, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said “Absolutely.”
McDaniels isn’t going to throw his own quarterback under the bus, so perhaps he would’ve said “Absolutely” regardless of how poor Newton was playing. On the other hand, Newton did have 365 passing yards two weeks ago against the Texans. It’s not like he can’t do it anymore, it’s just not happening on a week-to-week basis.
Question: Do you still have the full faith and confidence in Cam as a passer that he can do everything you need to do for this offense?
Josh McDaniels (with no hesitation): "Absolutely."
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 1, 2020
Newton would also benefit from having his top wide receiver on the field. Julian Edelman has missed the past few games due to a knee injury.
The Patriots aren’t exactly loaded at wideout, as the top options on the team right now are Damiere Byrd and Jakobi Meyers.
Next up for New England is a showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers. Newton needs to be great this Sunday if he wants to keep up with rookie sensation Justin Herbert.
