New England Patriots: 3 Bold predictions for Week 6 vs. Broncos

2. If no Cam Newton, New England’s run game will lead the way

One of the things New England has done well and showcased through four games of the regular season is its ability to run the ball and hurt you through multiple players on the ground.

With Cam Newton under center, the Patriots are even more dominant in the ground game with his ability to both air the ball out and use his legs on the ground. Even without Newton, this team is still strong in the running game like what we saw in Week 4 in Kansas City without Newton under center.

In the loss on the road last week, New England finished with 35 carries for 185 yards, led by Damien Harris with 17 carries for 100 yards. Through four weeks, the Patriots rank first in rush attempts (140), second in total rushing yards (719) and are tied for second with seven rushing touchdowns.

The status of Newton and if he is ultimately able to return to the field after testing positive for COVID-19 prior to the Week 4 game is still up in the air. He did return to team activities on Thursday and was taken off of the team’s Reserve/COVID-19, although his status is still unknown put looks to be trending in the direction of his being able to play.

Either way, Newton’s status would obviously impact this game. If he’s not under center for New England, however, it will have to rely on that run game to lead the way against the Broncos.

The Patriots have multiple different players that can hurt you on the ground and there’s no reason to believe we won’t see that again on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.