Getty Cam Newton
You’re not going to find many weeks where Cam Newton and this band of New England Patriots receivers set a passing record, but the crew pulled it off during the Monday night win over the New York Jets.
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Cam Finding a Connection With Undrafted Receivers
We’ve all heard the criticism of the Patriots’ wide receivers and pass-catching tight ends. It’s true, the team doesn’t have any big names at the position–especially now that Julian Edelman is sidelined with a knee injury.
Nonetheless, Newton has begun to build chemistry with the guys he has, and that includes Damiere Byrd, who had five catches, Gunner Olszewski, who had one, and of course, Jakobi Meyers who lit up the Jets secondary with 12 receptions for 169 yards–including the catch that set up Nick Folk’s game-winning, 51-yard field goal.
Newton’s day secured a strange, but a noteworthy record for him. Stats By STATS had the information.
The Patriots actually played another undrafted wide receiver in SE Missouri State’s Kristian Wilkerson, but he wasn’t targeted the whole night.
Was This Newton’s Best Game as a Patriot?
The answer to that question depends on how you look at it. Newton’s performance in the Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks featured more passing and rushing yards, so on the surface, you could make the argument that was his best game with the Patriots.
However, Newton had both Edelman and N’Keal Harry healthy in that game, as well as his full complement of tight ends, and the offensive line hadn’t started to take such a pounding from injuries.
On Monday night, the O-line was compromised without Jermaine Eluemenor and perhaps most importantly, his receiving corps wasn’t deep or esteemed. Even with that, he still threw for 275 yards and Newton didn’t have a single turnover to go with his two rushing touchdowns.
Perhaps most importantly, the Patriots won the game, so that makes a ton of a difference. When you also consider the way Newton and the offense looked in the second half, you have to give this win over the Jets the nod.
On Sunday night, things will be even harder for the Patriots. They take on reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Newton and Co. will need to be even better than they were on Monday night if they want to make it two wins in a row.