The Patriots lost to Houston, but Cam Newton showed both poise and resolve.
Last week against Baltimore, Cam Newton and the New England Patriots used their running game and the weather to grab a critical win against the Ravens. This time, while Newton played well statistically, New England ultimately came up short with a 27-20 loss Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans.
Going into this matchup, it was billed as a battle of the two quarterbacks and it proved to be just that. Newton throw for 365 yards and one touchdown. However, Watson, despite throwing for only 344 yards, made more plays, including two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown, to help his team come away with a victory.
Additionally, New England’s defense was not as optimistic as it was in previous years and Newton had to play the role of hero to bring the game close. Newton nearly tied the game but fell short. Instead of being at 0.500 and having a good shot to sneak into the postseason, the Patriots are now 4-6 and are likely to miss out on January football for the first time in 12 years.
The Patriots may have lost the game but Cam Newton isn’t the issue.
You can’t blame Cam Newton, at least solely. He wasn’t perfect and neither was the guy he replaced in Tom Brady. Instead, he continues to be who he is and the Patriots will have just have to adjust to that.
Collectively, the roster doesn’t have but so much to work with. Instead, they have what they have and are fortunate to have a large number of cap space the following season, and the ability to likely pick high in next year’s draft, which is an opportunity to bring in a new crop of talent.
Newton outplayed Deshaun Watson in every way but the scoreboard. Unfortunately, your win and loss record matters in the standings, not the individual statistics. On a brighter note, Patriots fans can be assured that their quarterback is committed to the team whether they win or lose.