With reports the Patriots aren't likely to extend Newton until the offseason and recent comments, are they sending him a message?

When Cam Newton signed with the Patriots on an incentive heavy veteran minimum contract, people immediately started talking about giving Cam Newton a contract extension.

After Newton's first game where he completed 78.95% of his passes for 155 yards and rushed for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns people started talking about giving Cam a 3 year $80M-$100M contract.  After Newton nearly threw for 400 yards versus Seattle, that talk continued to heat up.

When Newton was asked about it on WEEI radio he said, "I understand what you’re trying to do and I understand what you’re trying to say, but you must understand that is literally the last of my worries....” Later in the interview Newton said, “I do love and admire the culture of the Patriots. it’s been a place for me that’s therapeutic..." 

While Cam had a couple of other nice things to say about the Patriots, it almost sounded like a but was coming. Newton did say however, that "it was about respect".

While Newton completed 60.71% of his passes for barely over 160 yards with a touchdown and an Interception. He also only averaged 3 yards on 9 carries and the Patriots struggled on third down. This was his worst game of the season so far.

Newton has had a history of inconsistency, which to me is a bigger worry than his injuries. Still most agree Newton has about five more years as a franchise quarterback. I had previously stated that I would wait until after the Arizona game and then maybe consider offering Newton a contract through the 2022 season.

Ian Rapoport Tweeted this after the Seattle game. "My understanding talking to several people involved in the situation is that adjusting his contract mid-season is unlikely. From the Patriots standpoint, they are taking a more wait-and-see approach. It's only two games, plus Newton has battled injuries in the past. They want to be careful for that."

Recent statements by the coaching staff might give the Patriots a little bit of negotiation power with Cam when the time comes.

Quarterback coach Jedd Fisch said this about Cam's backup, "he’s (Stidham) done a tremendous job there in terms of his work ethic, watching film, spending extra time in the meeting room, spending extra time on the practice field, staying later on the field, making sure pregame warmup he’s always available before, you know, before kickoff, so to speak..."

"So it’s been a real cool thing to watch, and I’m really impressed with how motivated he has continued to be to get better and be, continue to be a participant on the offense.”

Josh McDaniels said of Stidham, He  "Competed his butt off this whole year trying to learn and improve as a football player. Really continues to work really hard and prepare just as he would if he was starting, which is what he did last year as a rookie. He’s an unselfish guy. He will do anything to help the team. Practices well, practices hard, prepares every week to be ready to go. I have a lot of confidence in Jarrett and I see a lot of growth in him each week that he’s here.”

(Before Stidham got injured he was named the costarter and before anyone talks about all the Interceptions he threw, remember it was before the team learned he was injured, also remember Newton was overthrowing receivers in practice, had several dropped INTs and threw for 46% one day in camp; the worst of all three quarterbacks. But back to what I was saying.)

So what does this praise for Stidham mean? Well the Patriots could be marketing him for a future trade but the Patriots could also be telling Newton " look we have a potential starter, so we're not gonna over pay." Either way, the Patriots are making a statement. Question is, to who?

I can see the Patriots offering Newton two additional years for $50 million in the offseason. A way of securing the future by not getting trapped in a huge long term contract while also keeping Cam happy. This would allow them to evaluate the position and the talent on the roster going forward. If they like what they see in Newton, extend him again after the 2022 season. If not, maybe they resign his backup.

The Patriots need to be able to move the ball more efficiently

The Patriots Struggled on third down versus the Raiders, going 3-11. They also scored a touchdown 3-6 times in the red zone. The Patriots are 45% on third downs and score a touchdown 56% of the time in the red zone.

Let's get the excuse out of the way. Obviously you want your team to perform better on first and second down. Hell, teams don't even want to get to third down in an ideal world. Life isn't ideal and the Patriots have to show up on third down.

Third down conversion is about making one clutch play, it's a team effort from the coordinator to the players. The team isn't executing, it's not clutch. This has to improve. The Raiders should've been a cake walk coming off of a short week and having to travel across country. Was Seattle the Patriots superbowl?

The red zone is simply just being able to move the ball 20 yards. For some reason teams can move the ball up and down the field. Their backs can run 3-6 yards a carry. Teams average 5-10 yards per passing attempt, yet bye the goal line they cannot get in because it's shorter field? I don't buy that and never have. 

It's great being able to kick field goals. Folk was 3-3 on the day and is 4-6 on the season. He's 9-10 on XPs. It doesn't matter how many kicks Folk makes. The Patriots have to go up against some of the highest scoring offenses in the league. The Patriots defense has it's issues. The Seahawks put up 35 points on the Patriots and although the Patriots scored 30, it wasn't that close of a game. Teams cannot trade field goals versus touchdowns. The Patriots definitely can't. 

The Patriots must be able to convert on third down and they must be able to move the ball in the red zone. If the Patriots went 50% against Seattle in the red zone, It would be excusable. If they went under 30% on third downs versus Seattle, it would've been understandable. 

What the Patriots did against the Raiders further proves, the game against Seattle wasn't as close as the score. The Patriots have potential but they must fix some things.

Do I watch Sports?

As a kid before I started liking any sports, I was exposed to the Yankees, Rochester Amerks, 49ers, Dolphins, Rams, Bears, Giants, and the Cowboys, along with the WWF superstars. 

In 1987, I moved to North Lawrence, NY. It was there I saw a news piece on injured short stop Tony Fernandez. I liked the uniform and the highlights shown impressed me enough for him to become my favorite player.

Between 1990-1991 everyone was jumping on the Bills' bandwagon, I went a different route. Thanks to a Nintendo video game. I became a fan of Patriots. I remembered bits and pieces of their superbowl against Chicago. The Patriots were the laughingstock but I liked their logo and colors. There were 5 players I liked Steve Grogan, John Stephens, Hart Lee Dykes, Andre Tippett, and Ronnie Lippett.

In 1992 I learned that Hawaii had a college football team and what jet leg was and how it affected people. That impressed me and I became a fan.

It was also about the same time I saw Richard Petty's superbird. That was a cool looking car. I couldn't stand to watch more than a half hour of Nascar but liked No 2 Rusty Wallace, No 3 Dale Earnhardt and eventually No 24, Jeff Gordon. I watched the race Dale died in. 

Sometime between 1994 & 1995 I became a fan of the Utah Jazz thanks to either Jeff Hornacek or John Stockton. Those two were my favorite players. 

I started playing madden around this time and have played madden during most of my free time since then. The last madden game I bought was 2016.

I became a Rochester redwings fan in 1997. But they lost every game I went too.

It was around the millennium that I became a fan of the lightning. Hockey in June in Florida had to give them an advantage. Least that was my thoughts because the Ice had to be melting right?

As for NFL Europe and the XFL, I tried to watch them in the early 2000. I was gonna be a Demons fan but kept them on as back ground noise because it was college football.

By the end of 2002, I knew I would not attend anymore live sporting events. I hated going to the Race Tracks, Redwings, Amerks, and Wrestling live shows. 

I stopped watching television in 2004 and would only watch my teams play and Monday Night Raw. I watched both Flair & Shawn Michael's retire and was bored of wrestling by 2010. The matches because predictable. I also have one from Nascar race since Jeff Gordon retired.

I have tried to watch my teams play but the only one that gets any time on regular television is the Patriots when the bills aren't playing.

I got asked to choose an XFL team. I really loved the vipers uniform but I had Hawaii ties to Houston and liked their roster better. It was watching Rainbow Warriors football. But like I expected the league folded. 

In 2018 I found the Stadium app which allowed me to watch Rainbow Warriors football games and also ESPN Honolulu to listen to them. Besides the Patriots oh, that is the only football I watch. Unless a friend of mine's team is in the Super Bowl, I don't watch the Super Bowl if the Patriots are in it.

Someone asked do I watch sports, the answer is barely. I watch as much of my teams as possible, and be checking the stats and standings. However, it's not the same as watching the game.

I try to read up in free agents and draft prospects for football but the other sports, I really don't know much about. It had been so long since I saw my basketball team play, that I didn't even even know they changed their jerseys, this year and thought they were the lakers.

Any how I hope this answers the question for those who ask if I watch sports.

Too Early To Trade For A Power Back

"The Patriots need to trade for a power back." Sony Michel is not playing like a first rounder. However after the seattle game, Burkhead is not playing like a running back, the guy was a joke but that's besides the point. This narrative that the Patriots already need to trade for a running back is premature. Damien Harris is available to return come week 4. Plus the run game should see a bounce back versus the Raiders.

Keep this in mind. There are 10 first rounder with equal or more attempts than Michel, 4 of them have just as bad of an average with more yards. 1 has a worse average but went out for the year. It's easier to have a better average when you have less carries for the first round running backs not listed. The guys with more carries have the opportunity for more longer runs.

1) Jacobs 52 Att 3.5 avg 181 yards
2) Zek 44 att 3.6 avg 185 yards
3) McCaffrey 41 att 4.2 avg 156 yards
4) Gurley 35 ATT 3.3 avg 117 yards
5) Edward-Helaire 35 ATT 5.0 avg 176 yards
6) Gordon II 34 ATT 4.4 avg 148 yards
7) AP 21 ATT 6.4 avg 134 yards
8) Ingram 19 ATT 4.4 avg 84 yards
9) Barkley* 19 ATT 1.8 avg 34 yards
10) Fournette 17 ATT 6.4 avg 108 yards

Michel and Fournette are tied for 41st in attempts (17)

Michel and Gurley are tied for 43rd in average (3.3)

Michel is ranked 44th in yards (56)

The Patriots need to increase Michel's carries and see what Harry has before trading for power back.  Michel should've had back to back 1000 yard seasons but there were things that prevented that, penalties, Injuries, not being able to run to the left side of the line.

I am not saying he does not need to improve but I am saying feed him versus the Raiders. The Raiders are giving up 4.9 YPC, Michel should exploit that as a first rounder.

Oh and don't forget about H-back Dalton Keene's ability to be a power back.

Extend Newton?

There's been a lot of talk about Cam Newton getting a better contract. While I still say wait until after the Arizona game, I would have the Patriots extend him until the 2022 season and give him 60 million, $33 Mil in 2021 and $27 Mil in 2022. Again, I would wait a few more games.

I also stand firm on I dont believe any 1 player in the salary cap era should be making over 15% of the salary cap. So there shouldn't be any 1 player making over $30 million. I am aware of my offer. In this case it is to help make sure the team can afford him. By front loading his contract while the team has a lot of extra money to spend in 2021.

There are people saying to pay Newton $40M to $50M a season. I know a quarterback is one of the most important positions as the Patriots are finding out, so is a good kicker. Paying a quarterback 20% - 25% of the yearly salary cap  is a lot of money to lock up in one player.  Plus Cam said it's not about the money. If Newton wants to win, he won't price gouge the Patriots on a contract, while still getting paid.

Here's a reminder of what Newton said on the Greg Hill Show. 

"That is literally the last of my worries. If we had to put an analogy in it, that is probably under so much work at my desk that I’m not too much really focused on. 

Surprisingly but true and factual enough, if I do what I am supposed to do, as I am expecting to, that will not be a topic of discussion here moving forward. Like I said, you’re talking to a person who — money at this particular point in my career is not important, right?

Let’s be honest, I’ve made money. But for everything I play this game for, I haven’t received yet. And that’s why I’m playing. It’s not about money, it’s about respect. And especially going back to the negotiating table when this opportunity presented itself, I didn’t want to keep going back-and-forth, this and that.

I said, ‘Listen, let’s get the deal done. Let’s do it.’ For all that it’s worth, it’s going to play dividends moving forward. I do believe this: a wise man once said, and that wise man is my father, ‘All blessings do not come in financial means.’ Just because you have money and do that, blessings come in many different forms than that. For me, if I do what I am supposed to do, everything else will take care of itself."

Remember, Newton's contract allows for him to be franchise tagged, so if the Patriots and Cam cannot reach a deal, they can tag him. Also, the tag allows the Patriots to trade him to a team and get better compensation if Newton wants more than Bill wants to play.

Ryan Izzo has taken hold of the Tight End one spot but can he hold on?

Ryan Izzo after two games has played 133 snaps or 97.79% of the offensive playcalling. It was expected that Izzo would probably start but Asiasi is barely seeing the field and Keene has been injured. After week one PFF graded Izzo 71.4 on his blocking, and he continued to look solid after week two.

In the passing game Izzo is looking like the fourth to fifth option. He has been targeted four times catching three passes for 44 yards. Newton has been locked in on Edelman, Harry, and Byrd, targeting them 45 times. Izzo is fifth in targets (4) behind Burkhead (6). Izzo is being primarily used as a blocker at the moment, an area he struggled in during 2019.

Bill Belichick spoke about Izzo after the miami game, "Ryan's gotten a lot of snaps. He's gotten more of an opportunity to work on his craft and improve. He's been able to stay out there and get better in practice, and then that's showed up in the game – and the opportunity to work with Cam [Newton] in the passing game and make some route adjustments or make some good decisions to help the rest of the route based on knowing more of what to do and having more experience doing it has led to a higher, more consistent level of performance on his end.

Ryan's always worked hard. I mean, he doesn't say much, he's a quiet kid, but he always comes to work ready to work with a good attitude and good level of toughness and competitiveness. Fortunately, he's been able to stay healthy this year and by being on the field, he's gotten better."

Izzo showed flashes last season that he could develop into a legitimate tight end but then suffered a concussion during the week six match up and was redshirted after he came off concussion protocol. As long as Izzo continues to show up and put in the work, he has the ability to fend off Asiasi as the number one tight end.

Harry Says It Was Him and Not Brady In 2019

Tom Brady admitted to not wanting to work teammates. Brady admitted that he wanted to work with veterans. He even went as far as to say it wasn't his responsibility to mentor younger players. So Tom got all the blame for Harry's 2019 season.

Former 2019 first round draft pick, says hold up. It wasn't Brady, it was me. 

Here's exactly what Harry said on Tuesday, “When it comes to wanting me to succeed in that regard, I think Tom wanted me to succeed just as much (as Newton). It’s just hard trying to compare it. I just think as a rookie, it was just hard for me to grasp the offense missing half of the season and getting thrown in there like that. So like I said, it really is hard to compare. But it is helpful to have Cam guiding me along. 

It’s good to have trust from my quarterback,” Harry said when asked about getting four targets and three receptions in the Patriots’ final drive Sunday. “It means a lot. To me, it means he trusts me in a critical situation. … I take pride in that.”

There is huge pressure on Harry to perform this season and with exception to touchdowns, he already has. Harry has 13 catches for 111 yards. In 2019, he had 12 catches for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns. Harry is almost certain to get those touchdowns as he is on pace for 112 catches for 896 yards. Not bad for a second year. 

J'Mac says Patriots have room for improvement after Seattle loss.

The Patriots will be taking in the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. David Carr is off to a great start after two weeks and the Patriots will have to clear their heads after the loss to the Seahawks.

Jason McCourty was asked about the secondary and here's what he said.

“Oh, without a doubt. Russell Wilson and their offense is a really good outfit, really good players, and he obviously is a tremendous player. I think for us as a secondary, obviously (it was) not a good performance. I know for myself personally, I’ll speak, to be part of two of those is just a terrible feeling and obviously not good enough. So after watching the film, those are the things that could be corrected. I think for me, I know I have to go out there and I have to play better, and I know for us as a whole as a secondary, we feel like we need to go out there and we need to play better. We’ve played better in the past. We have to pick it up, and we have to do a better job when Sunday comes.”

The Patriots were underdogs going into Sunday, even with Newton under center and the score wasn't as close as the 35-30 final.

The Patriots caught a lucky break on a tipped pass for a pick aix. Then Seattle dropped what would've been almost a gimmie pick six later in the game, and then on third and one, Carroll has Wilson go deep in the fourth? 

The Patriots defense slowed down Seattle's offense just enough, that with a few lucky plays and a good passing performance by the Patriots playmaker; the Patriots were able to nearly win that one. 

The Patriots have a motto, "On To <___insert team___>", the team just needs to focus on the Raiders and continue to play at the level they're capable of. 

The War Drums are starting to beat in Hawaii but will the Warriors invade the Mountain West

When the college football season was cancelled, many people were worried about the student athletes. Athletes told schools that if they weren't playing, that they weren't going to social distance and thus would be in more danger. The NCAA didn't listen. Coaches also said they wanted to coach but the NCAA ignored them also.

Defensive back Eugene Ford said this, “It was a shock because we did want to play, we were training hard, getting used to this new system, and we trusted the process. We were ready to showcase what we got.

All fall athletics programs had scheduled workouts for each team up until the postponement of the conferences, and each team handled said workouts differently. The football team hired a new head coach, Todd Graham, in the spring and up until August never met with the team in person - let alone during a quarantine in one of the most restricted states in the US. 

We had to follow the protocols, it was all new to us. The reaction was to follow the plan and to do the safest things possible. We knew how important it was for us to play...the players we have around have families and we didn’t want to put anyone in harm's way.” 

The NCAA and many around the world were worried about the players health. While ignoring the mental side effects of being given an extra year of eligibility only to have to then compete with the incoming freshman class of 2021. Thus making it harder for the select few who have their lives changed by the NFL. For many football is their degree and they will be join the working class making minimum wage.

Several conferences have started or played games this fall. The Mountain West is hoping to have a season by October 24th. Few details are being revealed but some states like California have banned sports.

Craig Thomas, the commissioner of the Mountain West said, "“Multiple subgroups within the Conference are working daily on solutions to the existing challenges in order to facilitate a return to play for Mountain West football, and other Conference sport programs, at the earliest possible opportunity. This includes finalizing a plan for frequent, rapid response testing and continuing to monitor the status of public health directives in our MW states and communities.”

Skylar Williams, a member of the Hawaii Women's Volleyball team said the following about the fall athletes.

“We decided to return on our regular report date as if we were having a season. Everything on campus was completely different, with the social distancing, the masks, the assessments and temperature checks, and the cleaning of the weight room… it was just different but returning to campus felt really good.”

NCAA divisions are looking to duplicate what the NFL is doing. The NFL has a program that appears to be working.

Thompson continued, "Since the start of the pandemic, our membership and staff have been working diligently to prepare for a fall sports season. We were hopeful we could carefully and responsibly conduct competition as originally scheduled with essential protocols in place. However, numerous external factors and unknowns outside our control made this difficult decision necessary. I fully understand the impact of this outcome on our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and staff who work so hard daily to play the sports we all love, and I share in their disappointment. We will continue to navigate this pandemic together, overcome the obstacles, and return to intercollegiate athletics at the earliest opportunity.”

The fall season was supposed to kick off in august but so the NCAA should've been talking about plans on how to make things safe during the spring. Those plans could be implemented now, however it appears that the Mountain West Conference was doing none of that. There will be no sports if they cannot keep people safe.

Tanner Haworth of Ka Leo News said, Unfortunately, these athletes are now unable to practice for a season until their respective conferences can come to a decision to restart. And during a time of irregularity due to the coronavirus pandemic, people are craving for something like these sports to take their minds off of it."

Teams with good coaching, would've told players to stay in game shape. Even though they cannot workout together as a team. This is exciting news for college football fans, especially fans of the Rainbow Warriors. The Warriors might actually have some offensive linemen destined for the NFL.

Here's what CBS's Dennis Dodd had to say.

"The Mountain West is aiming to play an eight-game, conference-only schedule starting Oct. 24 with a league championship game on Dec. 19, a structure that mimics what the Big Ten approved for its return to play last week.

Any Rainbow Warriors football is better than none. This is huge for the student athletes as it allows them a chance to further their careers after college and it allows fans a stress relief. Plus it helps the college make money. It's a win-win all the way around if they do end up playing.

The Patriots 35-30 loss wasn't as close as the score suggests but the kicking game failed the Patriots

The Patriots took on the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday night. Seattle didn't have the fans, so they lost home field advantage. Vegas gave the game +/- 4. I predicted a 13 point game.

In the first quarter Russell Wilson had a pass tipped for a for a pick 6. But Russell Wilson would find a way to get the ball in the endzone to make up for it before the quarter ended. The first half would end 14-14. Seattle beat themselves with mistakes. Costing themselves scoring opportunities.

Seattle would go up by 11 to end the third with two touchdown passes from Wilson but the Patriots would make a come back. With 4:32 left on the clock, the Patriots were down by 12 in the fourth. 

On the Patriots fifth drive of the second half, the Patriots would move the ball for a touchdown on seven plays. Leaving 2 minutes and 16 seconds left on the game clock.

Pete Carroll went conservative on first and second down, then threw a deep pass on third and 1. They were only able to drain only 27 seconds off the clock. Leaving Cam Newton and the Patriots 1:42 to move the ball 81 yards. 

Cam Newton led a good drive and the Patriots would catch a break with an illegal contact by Seattle with 41 seconds left. The patriots would run 8 plays to get the ball down to the 1 yard line with 3 seconds left. 

The Patriots had scored twice on a fullback lead, quarterback power run. For the game, I was able to predict 68.57% of the plays on whether they would be run or pass. I figured Seattle had to just not of been able to stop the Patriots as their offense was so predictable and that McDaniels would mix things up.

So for the final play I wrote on the Vicarious Patriots Facebook page that the Patriots would have to be throwing it because Seattle was going to send everyone at the middle of that Patriots line. 

Seattle did exactly what I expected and McDaniels did exactly what the entire world including Ken Norton expected. He ran that quarterback power run and stuffed Newton. The previous drive they caught Seattle off guard, hitting Johnson in the endzone and that play would've worked again.

For the day, Seattle had 9 penalties for 68 yards and went 3 of 7 on third down. The score was much closer than the game. Seattle kept the Patriots in this one, even with losing their two safties.

Newton was down for most of the second half but played well for the most part. Newton had 1 interception for the game and Seattle dropped what should've been a pick six, so Newton had his share of breaks.

Newton still had a good game, going 30 of 44 for 397 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. The Patriots are teaching Newton to dink and dunk. Newton completed 68% of his passes.  In the ground, Newton rushes 11 times for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Sony Michel for the day rushed for 2.7 yards per carry on 7 carries, while the other backs couldn't even gain half a yard. Rex Burkhead averaged .3 yards per carry on 6 attempts. Newton had no help from his backs.

Edelman continues to be Newton's security blanket, catching 8 passes for 179 yards. While Byrd and Harry have clearly emerged as Newton's favorite targets combining for 14 receptions for 72 yards each. The Patriots looked to have a couple of other guys open on occasion but Newton was locked into those three all game. 

The Patriots defense would have their take away and 2 sacks but gave up 429 yards and allowed the Seahawks to maintain the ball for 31 minutes. 

Russell Wilson put up 288 yards and 5 touchdowns through the air, while completing 75% of his passes against what is supposed to be the best secondary in the league. Seattle also managed to put up 154 yards on the ground.

At the end of the day, the Patriots were a Nick Folk field goal away from winning the game. Folk went 1 of 2, missing a 51 yard field goal wide left. Had Folk connected the Patriots would've only needed a field goal to end the game, instead of a touchdown.

The Patriots should have an easy contest week three as they face the Raiders at home. For now the Patriots have some work to do.