Cam backs McDaniels, play-calling vs. Rams
Will look to bounce back against Dolphins Sunday
Minutes after the Patriots’ took a 24-3 loss on the chin at Los Angeles Thursday, Bill Belichick stood by Cam Newton, reiterating that Newton is and will remain the team’s starting quarterback.
On Monday, Newton showed the same loyalty to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
During an interview on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” Newton said no division will be created between himself and McDaniels after one of the Pats’ worst offensive performances under his leadership. Newton’s comments were in response to a question about McDaniels’ play-calling inside the tight red zone, where four straight rushes in the Pats’ loss yielded three yards, zero points and ultimately a turnover during a pivotal second-quarter drive. Newton was swarmed on a fourth-down option play to end the series.
“For the most part, me and Josh’s relationship has grown, obviously, while I’ve been here. For me to kind of know him, and know how his theory and thinking is, it’s been just something I’ve even attached to myself even more. He’s a very passionate person that I would never second-guess his theory, no matter what it is,” Newton said. “And yeah, was it the play-calling? There’s been times where, as a player, you kind of bail your coach out because of the plays that you may make.
“But more times than not, Josh has bailed the whole team out because of his theory and his ingame adjustments. So, it’s a giveand-take.”
Newton was benched in the fourth quarter of that loss, but will start Sunday at Miami, a game that carries playoff implications for both teams. The Pats and Dolphins are both fighting for a Wild Card spot as the Bills moved a step closer to the AFC East title Sunday night. At 6-7, the Patriots are far less likely to secure a postseason berth, even if they win out against Miami, Buffalo and then the Jets.
In their first meeting this season, a 21-11 Pats win in Week 1, Newton went 15-of-19 for 155 yards and rushed for 75 yards plus two touchdowns in his team debut. During that game, McDaniels unveiled a remade run game centered around Newton, which the two designed over the preceding two months without the benefit of a preseason or minicamp. Since then, Newton has consistently praised McDaniels and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work with him — even after one of the offense’s worst showings of the year.
“For me to sit up here and throw a person that I admire, in Josh, under the bus and say, ‘He should have called more passes,’ no, I’m not going to do that, man. I’m not going to do that,” Newton said. “Because I know just as much as the energy that I know goes into me wanting to win, I know Josh shares the same thing. And I know he wants to put this team in the best situation to win. And that’s the only thing you can ask for.”