QUARTERBACKS
Cam Newton’s pick-six in the second quarter was a play widely panned in the moment because of f its obvious consequences consequences. While it’s fair to note Damien Harris was s grabbed by an alert Aaron Donald, meaning nould Newton’s screen pass otherwise would have been completed, the Rams may have ave intercepted it anyways because they knew new it was coming. And that was Newton’s fault.
According to linebacker Kenny Young, g, who then intercepted the throw, Los Angeles nn recognized a pre-snap tell Newton exhibits prior to screen passes and stopped the play cold. Newton followed his game-changing mistakes with a couple of deep strikes to Damiere Byrd and Jakobi Meyers, which advanced the Pats back into Rams ms territory. Overall, he delivered an accurate pass on 78% of his attempts, almost all of which were safe e throws.
But inside the tight red zone, the most st pivotal pivpted area of the field where he’s attempted 13 passes all year, the Patriots don’t seem em to trust Newton to throw. That’s damning, ng, and was proven again with four straight t rushing attempts in the second quarter r that turned the ball over on downs. Newton wton finished with a 53.9 passer rating.
Damien Harris was the Pats’ best offensive player, and it wasn’t particularly close.
He led the offense w with 50 rushing yards, b broke tackles and fo fought for tough yards am amid crowded boxes. T The Pats integrated S Sony Michel into their ba backfield rotation slig slightly more often, tho though he was largely ine ineffective. effective. Ja James White allowed on one e quarterb quarterback hit, furthering wh what’s hat’s been a strangely down sea season ason for him in blitz pickup. Fullback F Ja Jakob Johnson played his worst wworst game gam of the year, starting with a blown b block that netted only a 1-yard ga gain on the Patriots’ f first play fr from scrimmage.