Versatile Newhouse a quick study
FOXBORO — Newly acquired offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse is feeling the Scarnecchia effect.
Newhouse’s versatility kept the Patriots offensive line operational by switching tackle positions in the first quarter of Sunday’s 43-0 drubbing of the Miami Dolphins.
Newhouse, a journeyman veteran of 10 NFL seasons with eight different teams, signed a one-year deal with the Patriots on Sept. 13 as an emergency fill-in for injured right tackle Marcus Cannon (shoulder).
Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia helped Newhouse prepare to make his 73rd NFL start and first with the Patriots under the sweltering South Florida sun. Newhouse likely will make his Patriots debut at Gillette Stadium at either flank on Sunday against the New York Jets.
“He (Scarnecchia) just has attention to detail, holds you accountable and is very demanding at all things that make a lineman better, and I appreciate that,” Newhouse said Monday at Gillette.
Newhouse made a quick study of the Patriots playbook, got acclimated with his linemates and spent the week game-planning to play right tackle.
“I landed earlier in the week, jumped in the playbook, jumped in the meeting and practice because everything was new to me, but I went about my business and (I was) trying to be a pro and help the team win,” Newhouse said.
Newhouse had to switch sides when left tackle Isaiah Wynn went down with a toe injury at 2:53 of the first quarter. Korey Cunningham, who was acquired in a trade from the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 29, entered the game at right tackle.
“You just do it, and I’ve actually done it in a game before so it wasn’t that big of a shock,” Newhouse said. “It is just something you have to do and it’s an accountability thing, knowing as much as you can about all positions on the line. “
Butler did it
Coach Bill Belichick reiterated the club’s confidence in right defensive end Adam Butler following his career first two-sack performance at Miami. Butler was in on 40 snaps and had three tackles, two sacks and a pass defended.
Butler took down starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick on a third down at the Patriots 48 with 3:50 to play in the first quarter. He disposed of Fitzpatrick in a similar manner with 2:12 to play in the third.
“We have a ton of confidence in Adam,” Belichick said Monday. “He played in all defensive situations, our base, our nickel and our dime packages.
“He’s another very smart player that really understands how to attack protections. He’s a very smart instinctive player.”
Pressure packed
The Patriots defense put plenty of heat on Fitzpatrick and his fourth-quarter replacement, Josh Rosen.
“(The pass rush) helped us,” veteran safety Patrick Chung said. “It’s something we work on, and we will continue to work on, and hopefully we can do that throughout the season.
“That is definitely going to help us, and it helps us in covering people, so hopefully that stays the way it is or gets better.”
In addition to Butler’s pair, the Patriots got solo sacks from Danny Shelton, John Simon, Michael Bennett and rookie Chris Winovich, who also shared a sack with linebacker Jamie Collins.
The pressure generated by the pass rush created opportunities that the coverage packages exploited for four picks. Collins had a pair of interceptions that included a 69-yard touchdown, the first pix-six of his career.
Safety Devin McCourty and cornerback Stephon Gilmore had one apiece. Gilmore returned his interception 54 yards for a touchdown, the first pix-six of his career. McCourty recorded his 23rd interception and moved into a tie with Asante Samuel for 10th place on the Patriots career list.