So I'm telling you there's a chance.

This was the one game after Brady left, that I said was a coin flip. I said if teams figured out how to slow down the Ravens' offense, that the Patriots could win.

The story now is the Patriots have no chance. That overconfidence can be the Ravens' undoing. This is Bill Belichick we're talking about, not Adam Gase.

The Patriots offense has to manage the game but more importantly, they have to play mistake free football. Drops and penalties cannot happen. 

The offense must convert on third down and must put the ball in the endzone when they enter the red zone. The Patriots must keep Bailey off the field and at minimum, Folk must walk away with points to end every drive.

On Defense, they must play like they did Kansas City. Slow down the Ravens' offense, make a couple of key stops and force turnovers. Minimum of two. 

Contain Jackson, if a guy is staying into block have the man defender blitz. Play a robber - man to man with one zone defenser in the middle and a zone defender deep. That means, they may only be rushing three or four by design.

The pats have been playing a hybrid variation of the 3-2-6 and nickle. So keep the disguise up on who's doing what. Let the adjustment come after the snap. So Lamar cannot adjust.

It's a simple but complex recipe for victory but the Patriots can do it. If 2017 Newton shows up and the Patriots are down at the half by three or more scores, don't wait until the fourth. Get Stidham in and take the pressure off of him instead of letting him come in down by 10 at the start of the fourth.

The kid has been playing equal to Newton through the air, so theirs a chance that he could play well versus the Ravens. If he's coming in thr Patriots are gonna need his arms, not his legs. Either way, if the Patriots end up down by three scores; bringing in Stidham will be the right decision.

The Patriots have probably a one in eight chance of winning the game. With nobody counting on Belichick to win, maybe the Ravens will get caught looking to their next game. Teams do it all the time and that's how upsets happen. It could happen Sunday.

Newton's entire season going back to August is and audition.

Sometime between the Patriots playoff loss and Tom Brady announcing that he was walking away from the Patriots, it was made known that the team wanted Stidham to sit and develop one more year behind Brady.

When Brady left, I started doing research on Stidham. After seeing 2018 draft projections, I understood why the Patriots drafted and wanted to develop him. I saw red flags with Cam Newton prior to signing him and believed Stidham could beat him out.

However, I also said If Newton beat Stidham out, that the Patriots wanted to develop him, so he could learn how to run behind Newton. Newton was brought in on an incentive heavy, prove it contract.

August came and reports were Newton wasn't doing anything to pull himself apart from Stidham. That he was inaccurate and was having several dropped interceptions. The Patriots went and named Stidham and Newton costarters. 

Stidham got hurt and the Patriots contributed his three days of poor play to the injury. The team was not happy about the circumstances around the injury or how Stidham handled it. 

Newton was given more snaps over the next ten days due to Stidham's injury. Newton was still inaccurate, completing 46% of 28 passes near the end of camp. However, the Patriots decided to go with Newton because he had more time with the starters and not because he outplayed Stidham.

Week one came and Stid was punished and demoted to third string for his handling of the situation in August. He would spend several weeks in Belichick's doghouse. 

Newton rushed for 75 yards but his passing yardage was mediocre. There was a lot of talk, lot of excuses that the Patriots we're working on the former MVP and 10-year veteran's throwing mechanics.

Week two, against the worst passing defense in the NFL, Cam Newton and the Patriots pass catchers put up 397 yards in the air. Newton had a dropped pick six and an interception. 

Patriots nation was calling for the Patriots to give Newton a 3 year, 100 million dollar extension. I said wait until at least the Arizona game because Newton has a history of being inconsistent. That the Patriots needed to see more. 

That if they did extended him, it should be in a two year deal because that way they have time to figure out what they wanted to do with Stidham and if he wasn't the guy; they could give Newton another extension and draft a quarterback.

Week three came and during the first half versus the Raiders, Newton looked like crap for the first four drives. Before McDaniels dialed up some plays to put the ball in the endzone.

Newton would miss week four. Stidham would earn his spot back, coming in with under 16 minutes left versus KC. The game was still in reach, Stidham put up a performance that rivaled Cam Newton's complete first half versus the Raiders.

The NFL would postpone the week five match up versus Denver, moving it to week six. Making sure that they got their ratings with a Cam Newton start.

Newton would play like garbage versus Denver. Excuses came out that he only practiced twice since week three. That didn't explain why Newton held on to the ball or took off with open pass catchers.

Against San Francisco,  threw 3 interceptions in 15 passes and was benched in the fourth for Stidham. Again Stidham's play was comparable to what Newton had done versus the Niners.

Newton would then cost the Patriots the game against Buffalo with a fumble. There was questions on who should start versus the Jets. I said as long as the Patriots are mathematically in the hunt, Newton should continue to start unless he implodes again. To play Stidham once the Patriots are eliminated.

Newton and Meyers lit up the 29th ranked passing defense that the Jets have but Newton almost gave the ball to the Jets, stretching out in front of a Jets defender near the goal line. The Defender wasn't aware enough to snatch the ball.

The Patriots went on to win the game by a field goal and now everyone is saying Cam is playing for an extension. I had been said that all season. He's never stopped playing for a contract because he hadn't earned one versus the Seahawks or Raiders.

Now take Belichick's latest comments about not having the money to sign weapons, leading to an inference that he had to sign Cam because he couldn't afford a quarterback. Then looking at the type of contract Newton signed. His entire season is an audition. Incase nobody noticed.

Did Bill say he couldn't afford a quarterback so he signed Cam Newton ?

Recently Bill Belichick had an interview where he said that the Patriots didn't have money for weapons the 2020 off season. I blew it off because the Patriots were strapped for cash.

So I was listening to some Patriots nation youtube videos and I heard what Belichick actually said, thanks to RushSports. 

Belichick talking about not having any weapons said, "look wr paid Cam Newton one million dollars. We didn't have a lot of money. It's what we done the past three years. We won superbowls, this year we didn't have a lot to work with."

The Patriots were interested in Andy Dalton and they were also probably interested in Philip Rivers, both quarterbacks were better fits for the Patriots offense.

With what Bill said, was he saying that the Patriots couldn't afford a quarterback and so they signed Cam Newton? It certainly sounded like that. Add to that, Newton has a lot of incentives if he wants to increase his pay.

If you're a Patriots fan, there's no way you haven't heard how great he is from the fan base. How he's a former MVP, former Heismann trophy winner, and former first round selection. 

After hearing how great Cam Newton supposedly is, why would Belichick sign him to a contract like that. The Newton bandwagon said "it was so they could pay him more" but after listening to Belichick, it's just as possible that Belichick had or has no faith in Newton. 

The fan base has been calling for Newton to get extended to a huge contract since week two, even after his poor performances. However, Belichick still hasn't paid Cam.

Furthermore, Newton referred to his signing in New England as a business trip. That's not something one says when they're thinking they're gonna be the franchise quarterback. 

Something is not right in Foxborough, Belichick has been uncharacteristically out spoken with praise for Cam Newton. Is Belichick trying to get to Tom or are reports about Cam being fragile true. We don't know.

Here's what I know, the Patriots wanted to sit Stidham for another year to develop but Brady messed that up. Then the Patriots got frustrated with Stidham over the Injury and everything surrounding it, which led to him being put in Belichick's dog house. 

Reports I read said Newton wasn't pulling ahead of Stidham in camp but that the loss of time to the Injury costed Stidham the starting role. Belichick has said repeatedly that Stidham looks better than he did last year. 

Last year Stidham was working with the starting unit while time would sit out practice. This year, when he has played, Stidham has looked comparable to Newton versus the Raiders and versus the 49ers. 

So how does Belichick truly feel about Cam Newton? That is the million dollar question. We don't know because everything Belichick says and does is scripted. Belichick is the ultimate professional, constantly working. He's always on and that's bad for the media and fans.

Takeaways from the Patriots Jets game

The Patriots with Glimore are only giving up 215 yards passing per game. In the one game without Gilmore, the Patriots gave up 265 yards to a team averaging 167 yards passing per game. Gilmore is elevating the play of the defensive backfield and the other defensive backs' success may just be a product of Gilly.

Jakobi Meyers had a good game but keep in mind he was going against the number 29 pass defense. The only other team the Patriots had a good passing game against was ranked 32.

Minus those two games, the Patriots passing offense isn't that good. Newton was on pace for 131 versus the 49ers and so is averaging 155 ypg, while the Patriots are averaging 158 yards per game before adding back in those two games.

The pass catchers and the quarterbacks should put up high numbers when playing the bottom 4 teams versus the pass. Thus Jakobi Meyers is not a number one but a number two and Newton against a better secondary because the Jets pass rush looked good; is still a below average passer, the only reason he is not a bad passer is because he's playing with below average pass catchers. If his pass catchers were average, he would be considered a bad passer.

The only reason his completion percentage was so high was due to play calling and the Patriots forcing him to change his throwing mechanics during his tenth season of play. The play calling is also part of why Tom Brady was so accurate for so long.

I know, how can I say Cam is a bad passer when he's rushed for 318 yards and 8 touchdowns. He's getting it done with his legs right. When's the last time a quarterback threw the ball with his legs, where the ball was at his feet and not in his hands, when he got rid of it? Probably never, unless the nfl allowed kicking back in it's early days for passing.

Thus, while having the smarts to take off when there's nobody open is a good thing. The yards due little to improve his ranking as a passer. In fact this season, Cam has taken off numerous times with open pass catchers, thus canceling out his mental bonus for taking off when nobody's open.

So to be clear, Cam is still a below average passer, Jakobi Meyers is still a number 2, and the secondary ia getting carried by Gilmore.

20 quarterbacks to watch at the start of November for the NFL draft.

It's that time of year when every professional and mock analyst start looking at the college football ranks. There was a lot of good talent that decided to return to college for various reasons after the 2019 season. 

This year covid came and completely screwed up the sports world, college football was no exception. The number of games teams have played vary from one to six, with some schools being banned from playing by their state. Thus making scouting more difficult.

Earlier to night, a sports show I watch, DPN sports talk;  asked who were the quarterbacks to watch. I pulled out my list of 40 quarterbacks from last year and looked to see who returned to school in 2020. I then looked at the stats this year and compiled 20 early names to watch going forward. 

There are going to be a couple of big names but that had nothing to do with them making the list. In no special order here are the twenty quarterbacks to watch heading into the final months of the 2020 college football season.

TREVOR LAWRENCE -Junior- Clemson 36 games, 66.5 completion on 995 attempts for 8778 yards with 83 PTDs and 14 INTs. 192 Carries for 811 yards and 14 TDs. 3 catches -4 yards 

SAM EHLINGER -Senior- Texas 42 games. 62.7 completion percentage on 1373 attempts for 10520 yards with 88 PTDs and 27 INTs. 519 Carries for 1810 yards and 32 TDs. 9 catches for 155 yards.

SHANE BUECHELE -Senior- SMU 43 games, 63.1 on 1386 attempts for 10791 yards with 80 PTDs and 20 INTs. 271 Carries for 441 yards and 7 TDs. 1 catch for 0 yards.

BRADY WHITE -Senior- Memphis 35 games, 62.6 completion percentage on 1062 attempts for 9260 yards with 79  PTDs and 25 INTs. 149 Carries for -66 yards and 6 TDs. 2 catches for 13 yards.

IAN BOOK -Senior- Notre Dame 39 games, 63.1 completion percentage on 938 attempts for 7342 with 64 PTDs and 18 INTs. 296 Carries for 1244 yards and 13 TDs.

ZACH WILSON - Junior- BYU 25 games, 66.7 completion percentage on 694 attempts for 6112 yards with 42 PTDs and 14 INTs. 183 Carries for 538 yards and 12 TDs.  2 catches for 35 yards.

JUSTIN FIELDS - Junior - Ohio State 28 games, 69.9 completion percentage on 448 for 4195 yards with 51 PTDs and 3 INTs. 200 Carries for 800 yards and 15 TDs. 1 catch for -10 yards.

MAC JONES - Junior- Alabama 23 games, 72.8 completion percentage on 331 attempts for 3822 yards with 31 PTDs and 5 INTs. 37 Carries for 19 yards and 2 TDs. 1 catch for -1 yard.

KYLE TRASK -Senior- Florida 17 games, 67.2 completion percentage on 515 attempts for 4444 yards with 44 PTDs and 9 INTs. 88 attempts for 79 yards and 5 TDs. 1 catch for 4 yards 

SAM HOWELL -Sophomore- North Carolina 19 games, 63.0 completion percentage on 598 attempts for 5487 yards with 52 PTDs and 11 INTs. 143 Carries 52 yards and 2 TDs. 3 catches for 23 yards and 1 TD.

KELLEN MOND -Senior- Texas A&M 41 games, 58.1 completion percentage on 1217 attempts for 8623 yards with 64 PTDs and 26 INTs. 392 Carries for 1393 yards and 18 TDs.

DILLON GABRIEL -Sophomore- UCF 19 games, 61.2 completion percentage on 659 attempts for 6159 yards with 50 PTDs and 9 INTs. 120 Carries for 194 yards and 5 touchdowns. 

CHARLIE BREWER -Senior- Baylor 39 games, 63.6 completion percentage on 1124 attempts for 8572 yards with 59 PTDs and 23 INTs. 385 Carries for 893 yards and 18 TDs.

BROCK PURDY -Junior- Iowa State 31 games. 65.1 completion percentage on 888 attempts for 7545 yards with 50 PTDs and 19 INTs. 236 Carries 696 yards and 16 touchdowns.

KJ COSTELLO -Senior- Mississippi St. 34 games. 63.0 completion percentage on 998 attempts for 7434 yards with 55 PTDs and 28 INTs. 112 Carries 31 yards and 3 tds.

PEYTON RAMSEY - Senior- Northwestern 33 games. 66.7 completion percentage on 1000 attempts for 6923 yards with 43 PTDs and 24 INTs. 319 Carries for 905 yards and 15 touchdowns.

KENNY PICKETT -Senior- Pitt 35 games, 60.1 completion percentage on 1025 attempts for 6965 with 34 PTD and 19 INTs. 283 Carrie's for 542 yards and 12 TDs. 2 catches for -2 yards.

ADRIAN MARTINEZ - Junior- Nebraska. 22 games 62.8 completion percentage on 613 attempts for 4678 yards with 27 PTD and 17 INT. 297 Carries for 1349 yards and 16 TDs. 1 catch -11 yards.

FELEIPE FRANKS -Senior- Arkansas

33 games 60.4 completion percentage on 781 passes for 5806 yards with 49 PTDs and 20 INTs. 247 Carries for 594 yards and 2 TDs. 3 receptions for 8 yards.

CARSON STRONG -Sophomore- Nevada - 13 games 65.9 comp percentage on 505 passes for 3516 yards with 20 PTDs and 7 INTs. 67 Carries for -79 yards.

Cam Newton is on the hot seat but there's a bigger issue with the quarterback situation.

Quarterbacks who are inconsistent or who are average passers typically aren't starters in the modern NFL. Over the history of the NFL, this has been the case for the mobile quarterback. While there have been some exceptions over the last thirty years of the NFL, for one hundred years now; running quarterbacks have struggled as passers. 

This season the Patriots went out and signed Cam Newton. A quarterback who has one MVP to his name, a total of three winning seasons and five seasons of sub par passing. 

When Newton was signed, there were three clear groups. The Newton bandwagon, the Stidham bandwagon, and the racist bandwagon. The Stidham bandwagon did little to separate themselves from the racist group, while the Newton group lumped both together and said "One must be racist to like Stidham".

Cam Newton this season has shown he can run the football. That changes things but he is not a timing quarterback. He needs elite pass catchers to thrive because he has to see an open guy before he'll throw it. The Patriots entrie system and roster is built on a timing passing game.

Newton's one good game as a quarterback came against the worst team at covering receivers and stopping the pass. Against Seattle he put up 397 yards but is only throwing 150 yards average against everyone else. On top of that, Newton has seven interceptions and five fumbles on the season. 

Newton's play as a passer has been unbecoming of an NFL starter and before one says "he doesn't have open pass catchers", that's been proven false via coaches tape. He's hanging on to the ball too long and making poor decisions.

Meanwhile Jarrett Stidham has come in twice during to pressure situations where there was still hope for a comeback but Stidham failed to lead the Patriots from behind. Stidham is getting little to no snaps in practice and is playing at an equally level to Newton as a passer.

I have said wait until the Pats lose three more games or are eliminated mathematically from the playoffs before pulling Newton for the year. Why get Cam hurt if they want to keep him, and why not use the time to better evaluate Stidham and possibly make him better trade bait.

However, there is a strong opposition to Cam getting replaced at all this season. It's seen on the television and on social media. There are those who want Cam to further his progression with the offense, which is understandable. 

Then there are those who oppose benching Cam for Stidham because it's Jarret Stidham and when they give their explanation for that reasoning, for many it's cause he's a white quarterback. The racist bandwagon is mixed in with both quarterbacks' bandwagons.

Racism is a ugly thing and regardless of who the player is, who the person is; nobody should have to experience it in 2020. This season, two of our Patriots are dealing with hate and people wanting them to be held back or fired due to the color of their skin. The Patriots locker room and fan base needs to step up and say this will not be tolerated, whether it's from the media or the public. 

The Patriots are better than their playing dispite Cam and the pass catchers

No excuses, not talking about the opt-outs or the free agents lost but the 53-man on the roster and the extra guys in the practice squad. The Patriots are better than they're playing. Normally excuse of guys aren't getting open would fly but thanks to NFL analyst, who watched the coaches tape, the pass catchers don't get all the blame.

Edelman is injured but is a number 2 that's been playing in the number one role almost his entire career. Harry's injured but like I said last year he's a two or three that the Patriots reached on. The rest of the receiving unit are number three or worse.

Keane looks good in his debut for the Limited usage and Asiasi has been primarily used as a blocker. As for Izzo, with how the Patriots quarterbacks are throwing him the ball, he'd have to be 7 foot 6 inches with 5 foot long arms.

Now I'm not by any means making that an excuse for the Patriots, the Patriots pass catchers are getting open but they're also struggling to get separation. 

Add to that two average passes and a sophomore quarterback with no NFL experience, who's been thrown in during two pressure situations where the team was down but close enough for comeback.

The Patriots offense is turn the ball over 15 times, 11 of those have been through the air. The 12th ranked scoring defense, which is getting a bad rep but carrying the team, has 13 takeaways.

Yet somehow the Patriots have only converted 31 of their 77 third downs and have only reached the redzone 23 times. Of those 23 trips, the Patriots have only converted 52% for touchdowns. 

So 3 of every 5 drives the Patriots are either kicking a field goal or punting the ball. Bailey has kicked 33 punts and the Patriots are ranked 29th in offensive scoring.

All the talk right now is trade the Patriots defenders, the defense is still playing at a Super Bowl caliber level. It's mainly the secondary but still. Destroy the defense to improve the offense makes zero sense.

Most non Patriots fans will agree that the Patriots have average pass-catchers. However since week three, those same fans are ask if Cam Newton's a top quarterback, than why does he need OBJ, Julio Jones, or an elite tight end; why can't he make do with an lower tier number one.

The reason is, all he's a playmaker with his legs and has arm strength, he's still only an average passer; playing like a fourth round sophomore. Hoyer isn't any better. 

Point is the pass catchers and quarterbacks are both equally to blame for the teams record. It's correctable but it's all about execution. Until Belichick fixes that, the team is going to struggle.

As long as the Patriots are mathematically still in the hunt, Cam should start due to experience and athleticism.

 So I am looking through the news this morning after midnight and come across the article "Cam Newton gives the Patriots their only chance to win" by Martenze Johnson. The headline caught my attention, so I wanted to see his opinion.

Johnson breaks down Sunday's loss to Buffalo and then follows it up by saying, "Not a soul who watched Sunday’s game could come away with the conclusion that Newton doesn’t give the Patriots the best chance to win games."

Newton was throwing the ball three feet over the head or behind and five feet in front or short of his pass catchers all game. His mechanics were horrible and so was some of his decision making. He did make a couple of good throws that were negated by penalties but the positive does not out weight the bad.

Johnson defends Newton's bad play this season. Against San Francisco, Newton threw thee interceptions, two having the balls trajectory changed by another. Johnson excuses those interceptions but puts full blame on Jarrett Stidham for the pick six that Edelman dropped into the hands of the defensive back.

Johnson makes the excuse that the pass catchers cannot get open. Several Patriots writers and analysts have debunked that as partially true. While what the networks show us, doesn't show open receivers; the coaches tap shows Newton's not hitting getting the ball to open teammates.

Johnson attacks Stidham saying he couldn't beat out Hoyer. From all accounts I read this August, Stidham looked better than Hoyer. What did Stidham in was his injury, the team was frustrated with him and he was punished for not reporting the injury and for not explaining it. The Kansas City game showed that the Patriots could not afford to keep Stidham in the doghouse. 

Furthermore, people are saying that Staham is playing equal to or just below the level Cam Newton has played at this season. What separates the two is Cam has 10 years experience, who is a see it passer and is more of a running back, whereas Stidham is more of a deceptive mobile pocket quarterback who can hit timing routes.

Yes, Stidham had thrown four interceptions in twenty passes. His time this season was in pressure situations, where the game was put on his shoulders to try and pull off the comeback. To Stidham's defense, Newton threw 3 interceptions on 15 passes versus the Niners. Again, same production.

Johnson than turns it into a racial issue. Johnson says, "Black quarterbacks, particularly Newton, aren’t given the opportunity to have a few bad games, though Sunday’s game wouldn’t be considered “bad.” Washington has beaten only the hapless Dallas Cowboys after prematurely benching Dwayne Haskins this season. The “Nathan Peterman Game” only happened because the Bills benched Tyrod Taylor. Starting Lamar Jackson over Joe Flacco in the 2018 playoffs was a mistake because the Ravens lost. If the Patriots want the best chance to win, Newton is the obvious choice. If the Patriots want to be in a position to draft their next quarterback, a 2-5 record helps that, too. If the Patriots want to see what 2019 fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham has, why sign Newton in the first place?"

I like Tyrod and can tell you that him being benched was because he was too conservative. When they put him in during that game Johnson is talking about, he almost led them back and he played a little more aggressive the rest of the season. The only reason the Bills lost in the post season that year, was because he got hurt in the playoff game.

As for the rest, Cam as a "passer" and not "running playmaker" has been below average. Look at his average yards passing excluding the Seattle game, then look at the fact he got lucky on what was a clear pick six versus Seattle if the defender doesn't drop it.  Newton and the pass catchers only had one good game, that was against the Seahawks who cannot stop the pass; which includes covering receivers. 

How many dropped interceptions has Newton had this season? He's fumbled three times and thrown seven interceptions, plus his average passing yards per game are below average; Seattle just inflated his stats. Newton is reckless with the ball. All that is where his criticism is coming from. Just the other day, I heard someone say "Hoyer was benched for less."

With Stidham playing equal to or just below Newton's level, he's sure to of made rookie mistakes but the team is just as likely to still be 2-5. So if Newton had lost the starting Job, not much would be different. 

Stidham is still making rookie mistakes, rookies are reckless and sophomores normally slump but Stidham at least sees the pass catchers, is more accurate due to mechanicss and can run, so his yards would be about equal to Newton's combined yards.

While majority of the fan base was screaming for Newton to be extended, some of the fans were saying wait because he's inconsistent. That group, myself included, wanted to see him show consistency. His first half versus the Raiders week three, showed why it was smart to wait.

To answer Johnson's question, The Patriots signed Newton because if he was still above average, they could continue to develop Stidham, who's under contract until 2022. 

Here's the thing, I agree with the headline but not for the crap Johnson wrote. Newton has ten years of experience and Belichick orginally wanted to sit and develop Stidham before Tom walked away. 

Prior to this game, I predicted the Patriots would go two and three over the next five games. So the loss was expected. The two games I see project the Patriots to win are against the Jets and Cardinals. The Patriots magic number now is three. 

Three more losses and they should be one hundred percent eliminated from the playoffs. That's when Stidham should start and gain experience. Granted, teams could play well and they could be eliminated before they can finish nine and seven. 

Unless Newton continues to struggle, he should start over Stidham, his playmaking ability with his legs and experience says so. I don't like Newton the quarterback but I respect Newton the playmaker. While I wish Stidham had started and Newton was used like Taysom Hill or even RGIII last year, Newton is the guy until he's not.

Could The Patriots Make A Surprise Trade?

On Tuesday Heavy.com released an article about trading Cam Newton. They listed two possibilities to trade with. My first reaction was no chance in hell. Yesterday I wrote an article saying the Patriots would stick with Newton until they were eliminated from playoff contention. 

At the moment, four losses should eliminate the Patriots. I foresee the Patriots going two and three over the next five games. The defense can carry them on a ten game win streak but the passing game isn't good enough. Don't bring up the Rams, they're giving up 360 yards passing to everyone. 

The more I thought about it, the more I thought maybe heavy.com is on to something. So I looked at what the two teams that were mentioned had to offer.

The Bears are paying Nick Foles a boat load of money and all they really have is Allen Robinson to part with. The Patriots are trying to roll money into next season and Robinson is going to be too rich for the Patriots' blood.

The other place heavy.com suggested trading Newton to was Dallas. Both of the Cowboys quarterbacks are out and Dallas is still in the playoff hunt. However, unlike the Bears who have a starter, the Cowboys are down to a third string quarterback. 

The Patriots could fish for a draft pick for Newton, in which the team could use the picks. However, even with a loss to the Bills the Sunday the Patriots are still in the playoff and trading Newton for a draft pick doesn't make sense if they want to still compete this year.

The Patriots need a pass catcher and not another third or fourth stringer. So that rules out Cedrick Wilson. I don't see Dallas parting ways with a center either. But there is 1 player the Patriots could target. 

Michael Gallup seems like a good fit. He's a former 2018 3rd round draft pick under contract until 2021.Gallup's contact fits Belichick's style and his contract for the year was only little under one million dollars.

Gallup stands 6'1" and weights 190 pounds. He's a smaller X receiver who ran 4.51 with a 7.09 three cone. He ran a 4.45 at his forty at his pro day, so he has potential as an X unlike Harry. 

The Patriots are loaded with Y and Z receivers, they don't have a real X receiver. For the season, Gallup has 19 catches for 371 yards and a touchdown. 

Belichick wants to stick with Newton but when he's passing at the same level as an inexperienced Jarrett Stidham, shipping Newton off after the Bills game, could make sense. Stidham could gain experience and develop, while the Patriots would gain a needed pass catcher and stay competitive this year. 

It's a only a speculation but trading Newton to Dallas might be more realistic than orginally thought. The downside about waiting until after the Bills game is Newton can continue to implode and Dalton could be cleared. There's only a few days left, with the trade dead line fast approaching. 

Why the Patriots are sticking with Cam Newton

The Patriots pulled Cam Newton who had thrown 3 interceptions versus the 49ers but that wasn't the only reason. Newton was failing to make reads and could not convert on third down among other things.

There's a lot of blame going to the Patriots pass catchers this season but just like sunday, there have been pass catchers open and Newton has not see them or is ignoring them. 

While Stidham's play wasn't any better than Newton's in both Sunday's game versus the 49ers or the week four game versus the Chiefs, it wasn't any worse than what we saw from Newton in the first half versus Vegas or the three quarters Newton played versus the 49ers.

With all the why would the Patriots not make a switch and start Stidham? If Newton is playing at Stidham's level, why not cut Cam? The answer is the same reason why Brian Hoyer got the start versus Kansas City.

The Patriots are still trying to win and Newton has the experience. The thought is that experience gives the Patriots the best chance to win, ability to play the position is tossed out. A quarterback's main job is to move the chains with his arm, otherwise Sony would be the quarterback.

While Stidham's not the rusher that Newton is, he's a better passer. The Patriots have tried to bring in pass catchers but all they have are 3rd and 4th stringers, with exception to Edelman. 

The Patriots are counting on the threat of Newton running to open up pass catchers. In theory it's a good strategy but as we have seen from Newton's last 4 starts, he's left pass catchers open; completely oblivious to them or he's ignoring them. 

Yes, I am aware one of those starts he threw for yards but how many yards did he leave on the field?

On top of that, Newton's last three starts have shown poor throwing mechanics. Newton is playing like a rookie fresh out of college. The plays are being called, contrarily to belief; pass catchers are getting open and he's just not executing.

The Patriots are hoping that he can turn things around and be just good enough. They're expecting Cam Newton to be intelligent enough to game manage. 

As long as the Patriots have hope at the playoffs, Cam should start; unless Stidham shows significant progress in his development to leapfrog Newton.

When and if the Patriots fall out of playoff contention, that's when they should hand the ball to Stidham to gain experience. There is a magic number that I'll get to. 

With exception to the Denver game, the Patriots are doing exactly as expected. My projections for the Patriots are now 9-7 with the floor still sitting at 7-9. I believe there is a blue print to stop Cam and teams will exploit it going forward. Contain Cam and have the defense adjustment take place after the snap. 

I have the Patriots going 2-3 over the next 5 games. However, four more losses over the rest of the season, should be the magic number for a quarterback change, not until then. 

Newton has always been an inconsistent quarterback and it's why teams strayed from him. 2014, 2016, and 2017, Newton was a different quarterback than in 2015 and 2018.

The Cam bandwagoners only saw those two good years, while the rest of us expected to see the Cam we saw in his last three starts show at some point this season. Now, I believe Stidham is just as good a passer as the bottom 8 starters, that includes Newton but Stidham still needs development and with the playoffs still in reach, let Newton take that pressure.

Newton has potential even though he's inconsistent, it's why fans still have hope but should be prepared for the worst. And again, that's why Bill will stick with Newton for the foreseeable future.