Newton will have to defy gravity to beat Chiefs
Champion Chiefs most formidable foe
With every week that passes, we learn something new about Cam Newton.
It could be one of the quarterback’s famous nicknames, as Newton finally revealed his handle for Patriots coach Bill Belichick — “Dolla, Dolla, Bill” — and it’s now making the rounds.
Or, it could be something about his on-field exploits, something telling about his ability to lead the Patriots.
Week 1, for instance, the takeaway from the Dolphins game was a positive about his ability to run. His 75 yards rushing on 15 carries provided ample evidence there were no apparent issues from Newton’s past foot surgery.
Week 2 showed even more. Coming off years of shoulder trouble, he looked great firing the ball from the pocket. His 30 completions for 397 yards against the Seahawks left little doubt about his arm strength.
And, as an added bonus, we also found out that Newton could capably lead the Patriots back from a deficit. While he fell just short, he put the Patriots in a position to win. That was huge. Week 3’s finding?
He’s not perfect. He can throw up a stinker, and that provides the backdrop for the next discovery: Can he rebound from a bad performance?
That question will be answered in Kansas City Sunday afternoon.
After two strong opening games, Newton delivered a bigtime clunker against the Las Vegas Raiders.
He was off-target with throws, threw into triple coverage a couple of times putting Julian Edelman at risk, and in general made a slew of terrible decisions, one resulting in a gift interception for Raiders safety Jonathan Abram.
If that’s the Newton that shows up at Arrowhead Stadium, that will supply more intel about the player in charge of the Patriots offensive huddle.
Translation: Playing poorly against the Chiefs won’t lead to an abundance of confidence in Newton down the road.
Now, if Newton stacks a great performance on top of a bad one, he’ll continue to win over teammates and gain more trust. And that’s win or lose against the Chiefs.
The feeling here is Newton will rebound. He won’t have back-to-back duds. That’s his makeup. That’s his personality.
Plus, having Newton motivated to erase the Raiders memory enhances the chances of the Patriots taking down Patrick Mahomes and Co. and pulling off an upset.
Newton is well aware, when it comes to locking horns with Mahomes, he can’t be a mere mortal, or whatever showed up against the Raiders. He has to don the cape and assume his Superman persona.
During his Monday appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” Newton pretty much con
veyed that message. He wasn’t happy with a “subpar” performance.
“I know I can play better, I know I can do better,” said Newton, “and I know I will be better.”
Judging by Newton’s past reputation, the bigger the stage, the better he is. He usually embraces the moment, and this is one of those moments. In a season where the former NFL MVP is hellbent on proving he’s still worthy, and trying to resurrect his career after being rejected by so many in free agency, this game will be another beacon.
He can’t underperform, like Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson did Monday night. He won’t help the Patriots beat Mahomes throwing for just 97 yards, as Jackson did against the Chiefs defense.
While the Patriots will be helped by their ability to control the clock by running the ball, keeping Mahomes off the field for extended
periods, Newton is still going to have to throw the ball, and do so effectively, to take down the defending Super Bowl champions.
By the sound of it, that’s the quarterback Andy Reid is expecting.
“Cam can do anything. Cam’s been the passer, he’s been the runner, he’s been the whole deal. You have to prepare for everything,” Reid said on a conference call Wednesday. “I’ve played against Cam enough, seen him enough to know how explosive he is doing both.”
No matter how long the Patriots have the ball, Mahomes is going to score. That’s just a given. Even if the Patriots contain him for a half, he’ll eventually light it up. That’s who he is, that’s what he’s shown during his career, especially against the Patriots.
So, like Tom Brady did in the 2018 AFC Championship Game, after Mahomes rallied the Chiefs back from a halftime deficit, Newton will ultimately need to pass the ball to win.
He’ll have to make plays, and convert like Brady did repeatedly with the game on the line.
Newton was able to do that against the Seahawks in Week 2.
Will he manage to do it again, against a much better pass defense than the Seahawks, who are among the worst in the league?
Listening to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on Tuesday, he’s been impressed with how Newton wants to correct mistakes, and take coaching to get better.
McDaniels seemed confident Newton would rebound against the Chiefs.
“I have been super impressed with his humility. This guy has accomplished a lot in his career,” said McDaniels. “Being 10 years in the league and doing all the things he has done, coming here and having no familiarity with our coaching style, our system, or the way we do things, I have been incredibly impressed with the way he’s embraced it, looks forward to it, really wants to be coached, wants to be great, wants to improve and is a great example for a lot of our younger players.”
After the Chiefs, it’s not like it’s going to get much easier. The 49ers, Bills, Ravens, Texans and Cardinals are on deck.
So we’ll see which Newton comes to play in Kansas City. Will it be Superman or that other guy?