New England Patriots: What is going on with Cam Newton?

Cam Newton has struggled mightily amid the NeW England Patriots’ slide

Going into the 2020 NFL season, one of the biggest free agent targets was quarterback Cam Newton after he and the Carolina Panthers parted ways following the conclusion of the 2019 campaign.

While looking for a quarterback to take over for the legendary Tom Brady under center in New England, the Patriots eventually swooped in and signed the veteran quarterback to see if he had anything left in the tank of his career while helping lead the organization out of one era and into the next.

In his first few games with New England, Newton started to show flashes of his abilities from earlier in his career when he was able to claim the NFL MVP award with the Panthers. He stepped in as the starting quarterback with the Patriots and provided the offense in Foxborough with a duel threat player that could hurt opposing defenses both on the ground with his legs and through the air with his arm.

Those early-season efforts resulted in New England beginning the 2020 regular season with a record of 2-1, with early indications pointing at Bill Belichick once again managing to find a diamond in the rough to pick up right where his teams have left off in the past.

Fast forward to roughly the midway point in the season, the Patriots are struggling. And their quarterback that got off to a nice start to the year leading the offense has struggled even more. So what could be going on with Newton?

What has gone awry for Cam Newton and the New England Patriots offense?

In the first three games of the year, Newton managed to average 238 yards and 20.7 completions through the air with two touchdowns and two interceptions. On the ground, he also averaged 11.7 carries for 49.7 yards and four touchdowns. New England wrapped up that stretch with a record of 2-1.

After that point, Newton and the Patriots haven’t been playing well, with the team going 0-3 with Newton under center since that stage of the season (he didn’t play in the Week 4 game due to testing positive for COVID-19). And his play is matching the disappointment that now comes with a 2-6 record.

In his last three games, Newton has completed 13.7 pass attempts for an average of 143 yards per game, throwing for no touchdowns and five interceptions. On the ground, he is averaging eight rushes for 49.7 yards and two touchdowns. He has also managed to fumble three times, including a crucial fumble late in the game in Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills resulting in a loss.

Perhaps we jumped to conclusions when it comes to Newton and his early-season success, or perhaps the Patriots need to surround him with more talent in the passing game that would allow him and the rest of the running game to continue to shine and lead the offense.

Regardless, Newton has not played well and his team relies on him to step up and lead the way for this team. With his recent struggles, among others on the team, New England has been a tough team to watch and its 2-6 record is a direct reflection of that.