MAKING THE MOST OF CAM
Pats can create new chapters in the playbook
The three-month delay that preceded the Patriots’ marriage to Cam Newton both made their union possible and should now lead to a horribly rushed, if not postponed, honeymoon.
Unable to evaluate Newton’s physical health over most of March and April due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, all of the quarterback’s other suitors opted for lower-risk options via the draft and free agency. This caused Newton’s market to basically evaporate by early May, at which point every other franchise believed it had a passer for the present and/or future. From that time, the cap-strapped Pats could court Newton and wait out his contract demands until they hit near rock bottom.
Then, they tied the knot at a major discount Sunday night.
However, all that waiting also cost Newton time to learn the Patriots’ system, familiarize himself with new teammates and coaches and allow said coaches to rewrite their playbook for him. That’s an unknown cost the Pats can’t know and won’t pay until training camp. But frankly, they don’t care.
Ever focused on what they can make of the present moment, the Pats should already be elbow-deep in refitting their offense for the former league MVP. Bill Belichick’s coaching staff is nothing if not adaptable. But these coaches will not — and should not — uproot a system that facilitated some of the NFL’s best offenses of the past 15 years.
It’s about meeting Newton in the middle as fast as they can. Because the Patriots don’t need Superman to fly alone in order to contend in 2020. Only give him a little lift.
Here’s how Newton and the Pats can get a running start:
Hand off protection calls initially
During Tom Brady’s tenure, there were seasons when he was tasked with setting pre-snap protections and others when his center made those calls. Given that pass protection, especially when combating exotic blitz looks, can be the most complex part of any offense, it’s only sensible Newton should be spared those duties. At least to start.
In David Andrews, the Pats have the perfect man to take over.
As an undrafted free agent in 2015, Andrews rapidly grew into one of Brady’s favorite all-time centers thanks to his football intelligence. This season, Andrews will be at the literal center of an offensive line that projects as the Pats’ offensive strength and perhaps the best in the entire NFL. The Pats should lean on that strength, just as they would have with Jarrett
Stidham.
With pre-snap protections off his plate, Newton can instead focus more fully on mastering the extreme optionality of the Patriots’ passing attack, developing chemistry with his wideouts and learning reworked parts of the playbook that will be specifically tailored to him.
Such as …
Unlock a read-based run game
No aspect of the Pats offense should soon bear a more stark contrast to past seasons than the running game. No quarterback in NFL history has rushed for more touchdowns than Newton, whose legs are not his chief asset, but are nonetheless a defining quality.
Without forcing a veteran running backs room and returned offensive line to relearn half the offense, the Pats can still make significant changes to their rushing attack by putting basic twists on core concepts.
One of their foundational runs, particularly in shortyardage, is the outside zone; a design that sends all blockers in the same lateral direction and the running back following behind until he selects an upfield rushing lane to attack. Instead of executing a traditional hand-off on these plays, like Brady always did, the Pats can execute a read, where Newton, from the shotgun, would eye a purposefully unblocked backside defender (think a defensive end or outside linebacker) as he placed the ball in the running back’s belly.
If the unblocked defender then pursues the running back, Newton could pull the ball out and run past him. Or, if the defender stood still, Newton would simply hand it off, a la a regular outside zone. Of course, this only works if you have a rushing threat at quarterback, like Newton, because otherwise it turns the running back into a piñata.
Now, of course, the Patriots have one.
This concept grants the offense a blocking advantage, because the offensive lineman normally charged with occupying that backside defender now blocks toward the playside, where he creates another double team in the direction the running back is headed. The Patriots can also attach a read to their other favorite designs — power, counter and even jet sweeps — to multiply their run-game possibilities and play to Newton’s strengths.
The teaching points for the running backs and offensive linemen would all roughly remain the same, leaving only the quarterback to adjust. Having executed these concepts since college, Newton is perfectly equipped to take the Pats’ run game to the next level, and best of all, it won’t require any extra time in training camp to install.
Install a small RPO package
Over the last three seasons, Newton posted a QB rating better than 120 when throwing out of run-pass option plays (RPOs), which, like the zone-read concept, are plays predicated on a quarterback’s reaction to a particular defender. During an RPO, if the designated defender commits to the run at the sight of a hand-off, the quarterback pulls the ball back and throws. If the defender backs off, he hands it off.
These plays are optimal for early downs and those with medium distances to go before moving the chains. With Brady, the Pats ran fewer RPOs than almost every other team in the NFL. It’s time that changes.
Again akin to the zoneread, Newton’s success and familiarity with RPO concepts dates back years and would require minimal extra installation. The Patriots would simply have to marry two of their base plays and run them together (i.e. an outside zone paired with double slant routes). Largely devoid of playmakers on the outside, the Pats must scheme their way downfield more often than not this season, even with a dual-threat playmaker at the helm.
The best way to help Newton win through scheme is by building this new, small package around him.