Newton presents challenge
Raiders must deal with new Patriots QB, who looks as good as ever
There’s still some work for Cam Newton to do before we can say Superman is back. Until then, the Patriots and their fans are fine with him just being the Man of Steel.
The quarterback nobody else wanted, and nobody else believed could return to MVPlevel form with the Panthers, sure looks a lot like his old self with New England.
Maybe Bill Belichick just has that effect on quarterbacks?
Released by Carolina in March and signed three months later to a modest one-year deal worth up to $7.5 million with incentives, the 31-year-old Newton may have outplayed that deal already after two sterling performances from yesteryear.
Finally free of nagging foot and shoulder injuries, Newton nearly single- handedly led the Patriots to a thrilling come-from-behind win in Seattle on Sunday night. He accounted for 95 percent of New England’s offense, throwing for 397 yards as well as running for 47. His magic ran out on the Seahawks’ 1-yard line when he was stopped in his tracks on a potential game-winning TD run as time expired.
Nonetheless, he’s at least shown the Raiders he’ll present quite a challenge Sunday in Foxboro, Mass.
Two games isn’t much of a sample size, but in some ways Newton seems even better than he was in Carolina.
Just consider:
• His 75.9 quarterback rating (QBR) is nine points better than his MVP season of 2015
• His 8.8 yards per pass attempt would represent a careerhigh
• His current 71.4 completion percentage is 10 percent better than all but one of his 10 NFL seasons
If Newton can just come close to keeping up those numbers, he just may get his cape back.
Some reasons for Raiders’ optimism
EFHFNUF KAU TAMFN QWITF A KIT >> It’s no shock that the Patriots’ once- dominant defense has looked a lot more ordinary this season. Last year, New England had the NFL’s top defense in Expected Points Added ( EPA) — an analytical stat measuring the value of individual plays.
This offseason the Patriots lost six starters from that team, including Pro Bowl linebacker Dont’a Hightower, linebacker Kyle Van Noy and safety Patrick Chung. How big of a hit did they take? Only one other NFL team in the last 60 years lost more Approximate Value (AV) than the Patriots did. Only the Ravens from 2001 to 2002 watched more valuable players leave in one offseason since 1960.
NO UWRFTUTAT TWNNINI CADM >> After back-to-back weeks dealing with the likes of Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara, the Raiders get a break of sorts in Foxboro.
As usual, the Patriots’ stable of running backs is full of reliable and sneaky good players — Rex Burkhead and Sony Michel will see the bulk of the action. Pats backs, though, combined for just 20 rushing yards on 14 carries in their loss to Seattle.
MIDMINI XOFU TFUWTHADF >> If Sunday’s game comes down to which team has the better place kicker, the Raiders have to like their chances.
While the Raiders’ Daniel Carlson has reverted back to his 2018 form, going 4-for-4 with two makes from 54 yards, Patriots coach Belichick is fending off questions of whether he’ll get rid of his kicker, Nick Folk, after he’s missed two of his three field goal attempts.
“Nick’s our kicker,” Belichick told reporters after Folk missed important kicks from 51 and 45 yards.
Some reasons for Raiders’ pessimism
RAT T IOT U ’ U K W T E OXN DOTNFT >> Stephon Gilmore is more than a shutdown corner, actually. He’s the best defensive player in the NFL, at least he was last year when he won Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Gilmore had a bit of a rough go on Sunday night against Seattle’s DK Metcalf, who used his size (6foot-4, 229 pounds) to push the 6-1, 202-pound Patriots corner around. Gilmore allowed his first touchdown pass as a primary defender since 2018 when Metcalf snuck past him for a 54yard TD catch. EIUTWRTINI TKF RAUUINI IAOF >> The Raiders are 2-0 despite their pass rush being nearly the worst in the NFL.
They’ve gotten to the quarterback just one time in 73 pass plays over two games, and their sack percentage of 1.37 is 31st in the league. Only the hapless (and sackless) Panthers have been worse.
A UWRFTIOT INTFTIOT LINF >> Whether it’s trying to get to Newton or attempting to slow down the Patriots’ running attack, the Raiders will encounter arguably the toughest trio of interior linemen in the league.
Guards Joe Thuney and Shaq Mason and center David Andrews are all ranked among PFF’s top 15 interior linemen in the league.