The Cam Newton era is off to a hot start. The New England Patriots had their first game in roughly 20 years without Tom Brady on the roster, and they walked away with a 21-11 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
Newton was the starter for the Patriots, and while he is a completely different player than Brady, he was still just as effective in his debut for New England. Newton completed 15 of his 19 passes for 155 yards and while he didn’t throw any touchdowns he did run two of them in while gaining 75 yards on 15 carries.
In fact, the entire Patriots offense was impressive on the ground. Sony Michel added another touchdown and had 10 rushes for 37 yards, and the team as a whole at 217 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the ground. That’s a stark contrast from what we are used to seeing out of the Patriots, but it was expected once Newton took over.
The defense continued to be a strength as well, as they held the Dolphins to only 87 yards rushing on 27 attempts and forced three interceptions out of Ryan Fitzpatrick in the victory. The AFC East is more open without Brady but as long as Newton stays healthy, they will be in the mix.