The Patriots May Have Been Blindsided By Brady Leaving

Jerry Trotta wrote a piece saying the Patriots kept Thuney for Brady. If the Patriots really did tag Joe Thuney to keep Brady happy, it shows just how much Brady screwed them by leaving.

Trotta quoted Mike Giardi of tweeting, "Thuney was surprisingly franchised tagged last winter - at least that's how the league felt - but there are those within the Pats that believed it was a show of faith for Tom Brady and his possible return. Brady instead chose Tampa and the Pats had a 15 million $$ Guard."

There were a slew of things that pointed to Brady leaving, from the way his contract got reworked in the preseason, to him putting his house up, to him stepping down from a Boston charity. So either the team was naive or Brady did a really good job of playing everything down.

Don't get me wrong, Thuney is a great player but let's be honest, the team had serious needs and could've tried to find a stand in, while signing one or two other players that fit urgent needs.

Here's a scenario that could've been a real possibility. The Patriots could've brought in a guard for 6 million and brought in Andy Dalton, who was a better fit for the team for around 8 million. Dalton took a backup role but would've taken a starting job for around that amount on a one year deal. That would've been all for what they paid Thuney.

Instead the team signed Cam Newton for next to nothing and with looking at how they ran their offense, even with how they modified the run game; they still wanted a pocket passer. Their offense clashed with Newton's abilities as a quarterback. Although to be honest, with how bad of a passer Newton is, any offense clashes with Newton's abilities to play the position except the college team Navy.

Trotta finished with the following statement and it's so true that I'm gonna let his closing words finish my article but it appears Brady did a bigger job of sticking it to the Patriots than fans realized.

"We’re not sure who was behind that thought process, but if this report is true, it certainly isn’t the best look. Nonetheless, it’s just so fitting that Brady’s free agency reportedly played a role in one of the Patriots’ most confounding roster moves in recent memory," said Jerry Trotta.

Trotta's article:
https://musketfire.com/2021/01/12/patriots-stuck-joe-thuney-tom-brady/

The Quarterbacks were the problem with the Patriots tight end core.

I can't speak for all three but of those 7 passes thrown to izzo, many of them were high or wide with no chance for him to catch them with him being open.

All three had small periods where they were open and the ball would not even go their direction. That hurt all three of their production and development.

Ryan Izzo 70% catchable passes 92.9 true catch rate.
Devin Asiasi 86.7% - 33.3%,  Keene 80% -75%
All the pass catchers would get open only a handful of times a game and the tape showed majority of those times the pass catchers weren't getting the ball. Thus, these stats should be better.

I believe all three tight ends would be better with a more accurate quarterback who has better decision making skills.

When it comes to the quarterback play, I will say this. Every one of Stidham's performances were comparable to what we were seeing from Newton. So if the Patriots cannot find a veteran or draft a quarterback, they might as well just go with Stidham instead of bringing back Newton.

Give Stidham a full offseason as a starter with full starter reps, plus better weapons and you'll see just as much improvement as you would from Cam getting it, only Newton will cost more. Save the money and roll it into 2022.

One thing we know from watching Cam is he's not the guy. Yeah, he went 7-9 but his inconsistent play costed the team games. He's flaws hurt having him on the team as a bridge quarterback, regardless of how much his legs are an asset.

Now, don't get me wrong. Stidham showed to me as a passer that he's almost as bad as Newton but the financial aspect says it's smarter to run with him if the only option is Cam. 

My Criteria For A Quarterback, Ten Simple Rules

Everyone has their own criteria for how they evaluate quarterbacks coming out of college. Some only look at the current season, some look at the entire body of work. Some require wins and others big name schools. Everyone has their own formula to what makes a good quarterback prospect. What do I look for in a quarterback, I don't think it's that complicated. My Ideal quarterback will meet near or all of the following.

1) Has minimum two years with at least 100 passing attempts, even if one is red shirted year. I figure that is about the equalivlent of playing two quarters of an NFL season.

2) Have a 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio at the minimum.

3) Average 10 or less interceptions a season but no greater than a 15 a season average.

4) Have a minimum career completetion percentage of 60 percent. It doesn't meant that they are super accurate but it does mean they at least get the ball to the guys bubble.

5) Average a minimum 10 touchdown passes a season. Lower career passing touchdowns must compensate with rushing touchdowns.

6) I wanna see stats improving over their career.

7) Being a starter is a plus but it's not a requirement, same for wins because football is a team sport. there are many reasons why a guy might not start or have high win totals.

8) Preferably 6'4" or taller but not a requirement, as heigt doesn't mean ability.

9) Must be able to dink and dunk. Gun slingers are nice but they often lead to a greater deal of turnovers and change of downs.

10) Ability to make pre-snap reads and adjustments. This in my opinion puts them at the NFL level and requires less development time as a player. This is what separates early starting game managers from developmental projects that need to sit a year. 

I start with the current years completetion percentage. Once I have that list, I look at their career stats. They will start in rank order by the current year's completion percentage but their career stats will cause the adjustments to their ranking. 

Stidham will have little impact on who the Patriots bring in at quarterback but will likely see another competition in 2021

The New England Patriots 2019 fourth round draft pick Jarret Stidham finished the year with a 50% completion percentage going 22 of 44 for 256 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. If Stidham had played a full season, based off his four quarters he would've been on pace for the following stats with this offense. 352 of 704 for 4096 yards with 32 touchdowns and 48 interceptions. Granted  he would've need his pass catchers to hand pick sixes once a game to the defense. Obviously, one would think he would've improved during the season if he was actually getting playing time and the numbers would be different.

Stidham was not put in a situation where he could use his legs too much and would've been on pace for 117 yards on the ground. He has the ability to scramble but takes too long to run. He wants to be a pocket passer which is great but he cannot ignore his instincts to run. The hesitation as a runner, with his ability has to be fixed this upcoming training camp.

When asked if he wanted Stidham to start the final two games Josh McDainiels said, "You know, that’s Coach (Belichick)’s decision, and I honor whatever he makes in terms of those choices, We work as hard as we can to get everybody ready to go. I’ve seen plenty of Jarrett in practice. I see him every day, so I’ve seen him for two years. I’m confident that I understand where Jarrett’s at in his development." It's not hard to expect that the Patriots know that their backup has potential but needs to work on his ball placement skills and decision making. 

Zack Cox of NESN noted, "As the second-string quarterback, the majority of Stidham’s practice reps come on the scout team. The 24-year-old is the only Patriots QB currently under contract for next season." 

Thus meaning Stidham has not been running the Patiots' playbook in practice or taking meaningful reps. Cam Newton the Patriots 2020 starter was still learning the playbook and Jarrett Stidham running opposing teams' playbooks, No wonder both quarterbacks looked like they didn't know the offense this season.

Bill Belichick was quoted in Janruary of 2020 as saying he wanted to sit Stidham one more year behind Brady. When Brady left, the Patriots brought in veteran passer Brian Hoyer and eventually Cam Newton. It was expected that Stidham would beat out Hoyer. Reports in August said that Cam and Jarrett were neck and neck. At one point, they were named co starters. After watching them as passers this season, one must ask if the 10 year former MVP looked like a sophomore or if the sophomore looked like a 10 year veteran on the decline. Stidham was said to look like the better passer in camp before an injury awarded the job to Newton.

Due to that injury, Stidham found himself in Bill's dog house. The Patriots were both upset that he didn't report the injury and the lack of information surrounding how the injury occurred. When veteran Brian Hoyer started making grave mental mistakes, it was clear that Belichick had to bring Stidham in from the dog house and give him back his job as the number two passer. 

The Patriots would bring Jarrett in this season with the team behind and with a chances to come back versus Kansas City and San Francisco. there was a lot of pressure to succeed and make big plays. Stidham looked alright versus Kansas City but looked like a sophomore with no experience versus both the 49ers and Bills. In the blowout versus the Chargers, Stidham hit a perfectly executed timing route to Olszewski, something Cam Newton has shown he struggles to do. This showed why it's too early to give up on the kid.

The Patriots keeping Stidham on the bench during this poor passing season showed that they were protecting him because they did not have faith in the team to make the playoffs.They shielded his confidence. It also showed to me that they wanted to keep film of him limited heading into 2021, to give them somewhat of an advantage.

Stidham will likely be competing against a new veteran addition or a rookie for the starting job in 2021. With the Patriots clearly wanting to keep a more pocket oriented passer, and with his skills as a passer looking comparable to Newton, It makes little sense to bring Newton Back unless there are no better options. Stidham might not have Newton's legs but he can run and has better throwing mechanics, making his flaws as a passer easier to fix than his Auburn alumni.

The Patriots will have options at the position but either way, Stidham is sure to be on the roster in 2021, as the Patriots have him under contract until 2022. Stidham will have to show the Patriots something or he could be out of the league after the 2021 season. With the likelihood of Brian Hoyer becoming the quarterback coach and Adam Gase or Chip Kelly being brought in to be the offensive coordinator, Stidham could still salvage what looks like a career destined as a career backup.

Cam Newton says other quarterbacks get to play bad and keep their job.

The New England Patriots 2020 season came to a close with a victory over the New York Jets, that saw them lock up the number fifteen selection in the 2021 NFL draft.There has been plenty of speculation that the Patriots would take a quarterback in the first round. That was fueled even more by Adam Schefter, who tweeted that Cam Newton and The Patriots were going to be parting ways. Schefter has since recanted his statement, however that hasn't stopped the media from pursiing that line of thought.

Following Sunday's victory, Cam Newton spoke this week with WEEI about his future and his ability to play the position. So does Cam think he's played bad enoough to lose his job?

Newton told WEEI, "Honestly, it's too early to tell. That's as honest as I can be. Do I think I have starting talent? Absolutely. Do I think a lot of things that I've done were devalued? Not the team's perspective, probably the media's perspective -- absolutely."

Cam threw eight touchdowns and ten interceptions. He was inconsistent, inaccurate, and made poor decisions. He ran for twelve touchdowns but looked slower than Tom Brady at times. Newton Failed to see open pass catchers and threw the ball to their bubble instead of where he needed to. Newton often threw the ball late, into the ground, Above their heads, behind or way infront of his targets.

Cam Newton played like one of the worst, if not worst passer in the league in 2020. Sure there can be an excuse made that he didnt have the best weapons but looking at his play, the same arguement can be made for New England pass catchers unit was a below average squad playing with a bottom eight tier passer. There is an arguement that Cam Newton arrived late and didnt know the playbook and dealth with bad play calling. Again, the arguement can be made that Cam struggled with the limited playbook he was given and couldn't be trusted to expand the playbook.

There is also the arguement that Cam had covid. However, after beating up on the worst passing defense in the NFL (Seattle), Cam Newton started to show inconsistency and decline versus the Raiders. In fact his first half was as bad, if not worse than Jarrett Stidham's quarter versus the Chiefs. All of Stidham's play was comparable to Cam Newton's play and Stidham only played about four quarters worth of time. What does that say about Cam and what does he think aout it?

Here's what the 31 year old passer told WEEI, "I know out of 32 guys, I'm not the 32 position rank. So you have to also understand, I'm a competitor first. I know what my skill set is, I know what my talent is. I understand that if given the opportunity, there is nobody better than me. That's how I'll always feel. I have to also feel realistic about the opportunity that is presented as well."

Newton was given the chance to start fifteen games for the Patriots. Former coaches in the media said that after the Patriots were eliminated, that it made zero sense to start him. However, that's exactly what the Patriots did. They started Cam Newton and yet there are people who do not feel starting that many games is being given a chance.

When asked, there are people who scuff at the idea of Cam not returning and taking a backup job. Cam Supporters will tell you that "the Patriots need to give Cam a true number one receiver, a true number one tight end. They will tell you give Cam Julio and Marvin Jones, plus Hunter Henry and watch how good he is." Give Stidham, Trebisnky, or Hoyer those targets and they'll also look like stars.

Newton commented on the idea of holding a clipboard in 2020. Newton said, "If you are asking me, Do I want to be a backup? Hell no! When I look at other teams, and I'm looking at other players play, there have been guys that have been getting away with murder for years because of subpar play. Do I have the right to say that with the year I had this year? No. But I'm going to be honest and say it because that's what I do."

Newton who had said his stock hasn't dropped, now says quarterbacks have been keeping their jobs due to bad play? He just said he didn't play bad earlier and now other guys are excused for playing bad, he's just too proud to admit he's not good enough on his own to be a starter.

Mike Reiss quoted Cam Newton as saying it would be "remarkable" for Belichick to want him back. If his stock hadn't dropped, why wouldn't Belichick want him back, when all Bill did was sing his praise all season? Newton added his goals for the offseason, "I have to obviously work on my mechanics. I have to obviously throw the football sooner rather than the latter part of last year. Those things, I'm going to be focused on as we get geared up for offseason."

Newton back talked and admitted that he played bad and had things to work on as a passer. He made excuses to why he should still be starting and even though he did not come straight out and say it, it's clear he expects to be holding a clipboard in 2021.

The Business Trip Looks Like It's Coming To An End.

For many Patriots fans coming into the 2020 NFL season, the offense could not get any worse than the 2019 offense where Brady only put up 25 touchdowns. Little did they know that when Cam Newton Said hold my beer, that he would barely put up 5.

Cam Newton has rushed for 513 yards and 12 touchdowns but his option handoffs take too long, there is no option toss plays and the whole option offense is about as fast as a  world war two tank. In fact a turtle might be quicker getting down the field.

Pro Football Network ranks Cam Newton as the 30th quarterback going into week 17. NFL.com ranks Newton 28th and so does CBS sports. PFF has the Patriots pass catchers ranked 27th. I do believe that Newton is a worse passer than the group he's been throwing to.

There's a lot of talk that the Patriots pass catchers not getting open has hurt Cam. However, those same pass catchers are also being hurt because they're catching balls put in bad areas, if the ball even gets near them. 

We haven't really heard anyone saying those pass catchers need a better quarterback, well that was until week 16, when Newton stepped up in the pocket and threw the ball into the ground near Harry's feet. The Patriots pass-catching unit is better than the Patriots quarterback room and they have been suffering from inaccurate quarterbacks with poor decision making.

Cam Newton spent a hot minute talking to reporters on New Year's Eve. Here's a little of what he said, “For me, I still can be better. I still can be more consistent. Some of the throws that I’ve had, I wish I would have had back. But yet nobody cares about the circumstances, nobody cares about the waves or the tide that’s in the water. They just care about you just reeling that ship on in, and I didn’t do that consistently enough.”

Newton is right, nobody cared about circumstance. See there's a difference between knowing a playbook and knowing how to pass the ball. When there's guys open and he doesn't see them, when he's throwing the ball 5 feet around his target instead if to his target, when he cannot hit timing routes; there's something wrong. I'm sure covid effected him but it's not responsible for his accuracy issues and decision making. That's always been an issue and it's just getting worse as he ages.

If Newton looked good but was struggling with the offense, it be different. We'd understand the limited playbook not growing but he's been struggling to operate the basics that McDaniels is calling. 

This season, Newton ran all over Miami, who struggled against option style offenses. Then he threw all over the 32 ranked pass defense of Seattle's. After that he started struggling against the Raiders and it was all down hill from there. 

Ryan Hannable was part of that day's interview with coach Belichick.  Here's what Hannable tweeted."Bill Belichick asked about Cam Newton saying yesterday he wishes he had more time with system: "I agree with what Cam said, I wish we had more time together." Wouldn't address second part of question about potentially wanting to work with him next year, focused on this week."

Listening to the two, it doesn't sound like there's much faith in another season. When thinking about McDaniels comments about leaving the quarterback decision up to Belichick for week 16 instead of getting behind Cam, that was a clear message from McDaniels to Bill that Newton cannot run his offense.

Jerry Trotta of Musket Fire said something in a recent article about Belichick and Newton that really puts things into perspective.

"The last time we checked, when the term “regret” is uttered in press conferences, it normally doesn’t set the tone for a happy ending," wrote Trotta.

The Patriots are 6 and 9 heading into their season finally against their division rival, the New York Jets. The Jets are playing better football and a field goal probably won't win the Patriots the game. All the talk about the Patriots being a 7 and 9 team pre Cam Newton and a playoff team once he was signed. 

Brian Hoyer and Jarret Stidham kept the Patriots in the game versus the Chiefs with help from the defense but Hoyer's half time debacle and Edelman handing the defense a pick six sealed that game. The defense was the team's identity this season but the offense didn't have a consistent game manager. There's no doubt in my mind after watching this team play in 2020 that the Patriots would have no worse than the same record without Newton ever being signed. 

The pass catchers aren't the best, the playcalling wasn't inspiring but at the end of the day, when Cam's arm was needed; he failed to consistently deliver. Bill Belichick is not Al Davis, the Patriots are not gonna build a track meet to suit Newton's throwing style. They adapted the offense with all the option plays and expected Newton to be able to play quarterback in their system. They expected too much. The 2020 experiment is over with week 17 being just as much a formality as lining up on defense against the victory formation. There's a safe bet that Cam Newton's "business trip" has come to an end.

Three Realistically Potentially Free Agent Quarterbacks That Could Work For The Patriots In 2021.

The Patriots need to retool. While the draft and trades could change the free agency moves, I am gonna look at the free agency quarterback market as if the Patriots only have that pool if talent to work from and to see who they would bring in. 

One quick note, don't confuse completion percentage with accuracy. Cam Newton came to New England with a percentage under sixty percent, and although he has a much higher competition percentage, he has been saved by the hands of his pass catchers, as his ball placement is poorly thrown to their bubbles.

At quarterback there are three names that stand out. The 2020 Patriots offense at times, has shown how effective the option run can be. What hurt that aspect of the offense was the accuracy and decision making of Cam Newton. 

Newton is a see it and throw it quarterback, not a passing drill quarterback capable of understanding and hitting timing routes. Newton showed he's only capable of two things this year, throwing it deep or running it. That style play caused Logan Thomas to switch positions because it doesn't typically work in the NFL.

There are two mobile quarterbacks going to be free agents that can hit timing routes and while maybe not as athletically gifted, could potentially run the 2020 Patriots offense better or at least to the level fans were hoping for. Both quarterbacks as starters have led their teams to the playoffs before injury ended their playoff run. Both were also ran out of town by impatient fan bases hungry for a change in culture.

Tyrod Taylor, the 31 year old quarterback has bounced around the league since leading Buffalo into the post season. The knock on Taylor is he's too conservative. Fans over his ten year career have bitched and yelled for him to throw the ball to covered pass catchers and to take a chance on the big play, mainly by having him throw the ball up for grabs, 40 yards or more down field.

Taylor doesn't like to throw the fifty fifty ball and that angers fans, who seem to prefer high risk gun slinging to the dink and dunk, game manager style quarterback play. A style that can be successful with the right combination of quarterback and coaching staff. Taylor's not gonna wow anyone with highlight throws but like Chad Pennington, he has the ability to dissect a defense, even if it means taking off.

Over Taylor's ten year career, he's played in seventy two games, starting forty seven of them. He has a career completion percentage of 61.4 and has thrown for 9770 yards. He's thrown for 54 touchdowns and 20 Interceptions. Taylor also has a career rushing average of 5.4 yards per carry. 

Taylor has spent seven of his ten years as a backup, losing his job to injury and a hot quarterback multiple times. His time in Buffalo was with Rex Ryan's ultra conservative passing / extremely run heavy offense. The Patriots would give Taylor the ability to throw for 3600 yards and rush for another 400 more. Stats expected from Cam in August.

The second name on my list is Robert Griffin the Third. Griffin is currently 30 years old and since his time with the Redskins came to an end, the quarterback like Taylor has been primarily a backup plagued by injuries. He's been sitting behind Lamar Jackson the past few years. 

Griffin played his first season in 2012 but missed both the 2015 and 2017 seasons. Griffin has appeared in fifty six games, starting forty of them. Griffin has a career completion percentage of 63 and has thrown for 9271 yards. Griffin has thrown 43 touchdowns and 30 interceptions over his career. A large part of his turnovers has been him being under pressure alot, playing with inexperienced pass catchers, and throwing from behind (losing).

Griffin also has a 4.9 yards per carry career average and like Taylor should easily add on another 400 yards to the Patriots rushing offense. 

The a Patriots could just bring back Cam Newton if they want a mobile quarterback but his inaccuracy has hurt the Patriots as he's been saved by the hands of his 27th ranked pass catchers, which Cam Newton and the Patriots coaches are at least 50% responsible for. The 27th ranked Pass catchers, who the Patriots have just failed to teach separation to at the same time having a quarterback who throws to their area Instead of to them.

The last name on my list is "Big Red" himself, 33 year old Andy Dalton. Andy Dalton's career with the Bengals was a double edged sword where the coaching staff and team injuries hurt him just as much as his career in Cincinnati helped him. Dalton is coming off a one year deal with Dallas.

Over Dalton's ten year career, he has appeared in 143 games starting 141 of them. Dalton has a career completion percentage of 62.2 percent. The pocket passer has thrown for 33,520 yards with 218 touchdowns and 125 interceptions. 

Unlike the other quarterbacks in this list, Dalton is not a mobile quarterback, however that doesn't mean he won't scramble when he needs to. Dalton had a career average of 3.1 yards per carry and averaged 128 yards a season. 

All three free agents I mentioned can throw timing routes, something that is not part of current quarterback Cam Newton's game. The Patriots could execute the 2020 version of the Patriots offense with Taylor or RGIII way better than they could with Newton. With Dalton, they could roll back into the full Tom Brady playbook. 

All three guys should come cheap, under ten million dollars, and All three could help develop an incoming rookie or compete with backup Jarrett Stidham and push him to be better. Something Stidham's buddy and Auburn alumni failed to do. If the Patriots want to bring back Cam Newton to mentor a rookie quarterback, they'd be better off just re-signing Brian Hoyer or having Stidham who will be under contract still do it.

The Patriots Top Three Needs On Offense Heading Into The Offseason.

This is probably the easiest thing to answer and yet the most nonchalant answer at the same time. However, it's true and it really cannot be disputed.

The first thing needed for the Patriots offense is to address the quarterback one position. Cam Newton was a good runner but he honestly wasn't a top 32 passer. Cam's completion percentage was bailed out by his pass catchers ability to catch the ball anywhere near them. 

His decision making and ball placement were just plain bad. It wasn't covid and it wasn't the playcalling. McDaniels brought out the option runs into the offense to adapt the system to Cam Newton. The team even tried to work on Newton's mechanics to help with his accuracy. 

Newton still throws to his pass catchers bubbles Instead of to them and he does not seem to understand timing routes. He is a throw it up for grabs, deep ball gunslinger and that is not the Patriots offense. 

The team is not built to be a high risk, high reward passing game; they are not built for Cam Newton. The Patriots rely on accuracy and with how Cam Passes, nobody can deny that's not him. This is the best Newton can run the Patriots "Air West Spread" offensive system, even after they modified it for him.

Everyone can pretty much agree that 2019 was a bad year for the Patriots passing game. Brady had one of his worst completion percentages and one of his highest interception years. That was an average Cam Newton year in Carolina, minus 400 yards passing and plus 400 yards rushing. 2020 is a down year for Cam. 

Newton has never had weapons, that was his defense coming to New England. Newton still doesn't have weapons and what he does have is still elevating him. Sure he'd be a better quarterback if he had a tier better weapons, that is true for every quarterback but the don't have the cap and have too many needs to get enough weapons to make Newton good. A true number one, might make Newton average at best.

The second thing needed are upgrades at positional coaches. Quarterback coach Jedd Fisch is gone and the Patriots cannot seem to develop wideouts or tight ends. Let's be real, It doesn't matter how good the talent is coming out of the draft, if the coaches cannot develop them. 

Sure incoming talent could be better than what's on the roster but it's still the coaches' jobs to improve the players and not just hope the talent is good enough on it's own to improve the roster.

Since Edelman is still on the team, let's go back to 2009, the year he came out of the draft and see how many tight ends and receivers the team has taken and developed.

WR: Brandon Tate, Julian Edelman, Taylor Price, Jeremy Ebert, Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce, Jeremy Gallon,  Malcolm Mitchell, Devin Lucien, Braxton Berrios, N'Keal Harry

TE: Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Lee Smith, AJ Derby, Ryan Izzo, Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene

Of those 17 guys maybe 5 at most were able to be developed and 4 of those 5 came between 2009 and 2010. 

The Patriots have been successful at bringing in sustainable free agents, thus it falls on to their ability to develop and not their ability to scout. Which is something I have been saying all season. 

The third thing the Patriots offense needs are up grades with their pass catchers. The guys they got are doing their best but they struggle to get separation. It doesn't help their production that when they do manage to get open, Newton cannot get them the ball and part of their inability to get separation is on the coaching but there is still room for upgrades. 

Marquis Lee will be returning but that's not enough and there's no guarantee that he will be the guy, not to mention his injury history. The Patriots don't need a true number one. They need a solid group of pass catchers. Instead of a true number one at receiver, bring in two or three number twos that cost the same as one number one. 

The Patriots also don't need a top tier number one at tight end. Ryan Izzo is a solid number two. The Patriots need a lower tier number one tight end, who is still a serviceable tight end one ranked between fourteen and twenty four. 

Most teams only have one, maybe two good coverage defensive backs. Again a solid unit that the ball can be spread around to in the Patriots system is more valuable than one player. 

If the Patriots spend all their cap on one number one and that one player goes down and the team is back to where it started but with less money. It's easier to replace a cog than it is to replace the entire engine. 

When it comes to the offensive side of the ball, it's hard to argue with what I wrote. There maybe other things the offense needs to improve on, like play calling but these are the top three needs.

Cam Newton's Basement weapons are elevating him.

The Patriots passing game in 2020 has been abysmal. The Patriots have one of the worst passing offenses in the NFL and the worst they've had in over 25 years.

As a group the papers pass catchers are in the bottom eight. Patriots pass catchers are possession receivers, who cannot burn or separate.

Cam Newton is a bottom eight quarterback. Newton is a running quarterbac with an arm but no accuracy and bad decision-making.

Strangely enough believe it or not, this poor pass-catching unit is actually elevating Cam Newton's play. Let me explain.

Cam Newton is having one of his best pass completion years because his pass catchers can catch but he's not doing this past catchers any favors in return. Anyone who has watched Cam play has seen how bad his accuracy is. Newton puts the ball in such bad spots, that once his past catchers catch the ball , they have no room to do anything with it. 

Now one can nip pic and go through video to find good throws, like in the Seattle game and than dissect a play to make it look like Cam is good but as a body of work, there's going to be more tape inaccurate passes than not.

When the Patriots pass catchers do manage to get open, Newton for some reason fails to get the ball to them. N'keal Harry, Ryan Izzo, Dalton Keene, and many others of the Patriots pass catchers have been the victim of Cam Newton. 

How productive can a pass-catcher be if the quarterback isn't getting them the ball or when he does they have to do a bunch of extra to catch it?

There's an argument that Cam Newton would be better if New England got better pass catchers. Every quarterback would be better with better pass catchers but that doesn't make the quarterbacks any better. It just means the talent around them is capable of doing more. Of making the quarterback look above his pay grade.

Being that a bottom tier group of pass-catchers is elevating Cam, that means a Cam Newton isn't just a bottom passer. He is the bottom tier passer. In fact there are backup quarterbacks that are better passers than Cam Newton, meaning Newton should be holding a clip board.

With a group of below average pass catchers, 2017 to 24 range, Cam Newton would be lucky if he elevates to 24. Give Cam Newton an average group (15-18) and Newton would be lucky if you made it into the top 20. Thus to make Newton above average in theory, the Patriots would need a top 10 pass-catching unit. However is the NFL has shown up over the past 30 years, bad quarterbacks find a way a f****** up.

Jarrett Stidham Has Done Just As Much To Earn The Last Two Starts As Cam Newton

The Patriots are a team that is earn your spot. Newton won the job by default when Stidham got injured. Need proof, Stidham was a co-starter prior to the injury. Belichick put Stidham in the dog house and Hoyer didn't earn the number 2 role, which was given back to Stidham after the K.C. game. 

Newton has not done anything this season as a passer to show he should continue to start if the Patriots get knocked out. He beat up on the worst 2 passing defenses and a below average passing defense. The only reason being given for Newton to start until the team was knocked out of the playoffs, was his legs. Realistically, Newton's legs have been almost as inconsistent as his arm.

What have we seen with Jarrett stidham?  Versus KC, he came in with the score 13-3. He came in and made it 13-10 but was a product of the offense as Edelman handed a pass to the defender for a pick six to make it 20-10 before Stidham with now added pressure, threw another interception that ended the game.

Tell me that pick six at the hands of Edelman didn't effect the confidence of Stidham with the game still in reach. If anything, that put more pressure on the young quarterback's shoulder to make something happen. That added pressure could've destroyed Stidham's confidence. 

Versus the 49ers, Stidham came in with the score 33-6. He threw an interception and almost tied Cam Newton's stats for the first 3 quarters. Again Stidham came in and made a Cam Newton pass and put the ball in the area of the pass catcher and not where it should've been. He was under pressure to show Belichick something, instead of just playing his game.

Versus the Chargers, Stidham came in went 2 for 3 in the 4th; throwing a perfect timing route strike to Olszewski for a touchdown.

WEEI on or around November 4th quoted Belichick as saying Stidham had improved since last season. So he's obviously showing something in practice. I know what else is Belichick gonna say, right but that same argument can be made about all his praise for Newton.

After last season Belichick had said that with getting to practice with the first string that Stidham was ahead of where he should be.  It also came out that the Patriots wanted to sit him one more season for development but were very confident in him.

So why wouldn't Belichick start Stidham? How about because this year, he'd be replacing Tom Brady. A buddy of mine said Josh Rosen was played too soon and it destroyed his confidence. Why wouldn't Bill want to protect his young quarterback? We all talk about how smart Belichick is, so why wouldn't Bill know if it's too early to play Stidham?

There's been a lot of talk that Belichick conceded this season. I even said that after last week that this season seemed like an extended 2021 preseason. With how brutal Patriots fans are and how easy it is for a young player to lose confidence, I said and still believe Belichick would protect a young quarterback. Especially if the offensive weapons are as bad as people say they are.

There's also been talk about McDaniels looking vanilla this season. Something this writer was saying last season after watching the last two seasons. I got crucified and told how much of a genius McDaniels is. 

McDaniels has peaked as an OC and should not be given the Patriots head coaching position. There is an arguement that Cam Newton is a product of McDaniels this season. That arguement can also be made for Stidham. 

McDaniels needs to spend the offseason watching the top 10 offenses in college and get reinspired or he needs to take the Houston job.

The only thing I will say in defense of McDaniels is that he did what the Patriots have done for the past twenty years. He modified the system without getting rid of it.

He added the slow option plays that is what Newton does well, without sacrificing the accurate passing game for a extremely high risk deep passing game. Which is the other part of Newton's game.

So with the last two games, it makes sense to play Stidham. Bill may decide to give Stidham a placebo for 2021 and have him play only the Jets. If Stidham stinks, he'll struggle versus the Jets and if he doesn't, he can ride that high into 2021.