Pats need return of Supercam
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