No, Cam Newton is not better than Matt Ryan and would not take his starting job right off the bat. However, could he thrive as a backup in Atlanta for the Falcons? Absolutely––especially if he puts his pride aside and settles for a backup job instead of a starting job that he’s likely not going to land again.
Newton and the Patriots are expected to part ways following a rather disappointing season in New England. The former MVP QB should be affordable after not living up to the hype last year.
He didn’t start off on a bad foot, but it went down hill fast.
Newton joined the Patriots a bit late and competed to win the starting job, leading the Patriots to a 2-1 record in his first three debuts. Then, Newton became the first Patriots player to test positive for the virus and spent 10 days in isolation and that’s when he fell apart for most of the rest of the season. With a final 7-9 record, the Patriots didn’t make the playoffs and were under .500 for the first time since 2000.
Still, Newton had some shining moments.
Cam Newton Ended 2020 Breaking Records
Newton finished the 2020 season completing 65.8 percent of his passes for 2,657 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 15 starts. He also added 12 more rushing scores. While he may not have been the MVP caliber he once was, he sure capped off the season like it, breaking records along the way.
New England faced the Jets in their last game and won to end the year. You might be thinking that doesn’t count because, well, it’s the Jets, but his impressive numbers say otherwise.
-Longest run by a QB: Newton set a new franchise benchmark by gaining 49 yards on the run. The longest run prior happened 57 years ago by Tom Yewcic who gained 46 yards against the Denver Broncos in September 1963.
-Most rushing yards by a QB in one season: In the same game, Newton needed just 26 yards to break Steve Grogan’s 1978 record of 539 yards and he did it on his first carry of the day. He ended the season with 592 rushing yards and 12 scores on 137 attempts.
-A touchdown reception by a QB: In Patriots franchise history, a QB had never caught a touchdown pass before but that changed when Newton handed the ball to Sony Michel who threw it back to Jakobi Meyers who threw a 19-yard pass to Newton for the score.
Sure, most of Newton’s games were not all that impressive, but ending the season with a “bang” leaves hope. It’s also worth noting that Matt Ryan is strictly a pocket passer and had his longest rush of 13-yard yards in 2020 since Week 15 of the 2018 season against the Cardinals.
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Newton Needs Arthur Smith
The Falcons and Panthers’ Cam Newton have a long history, however, that’s a song for another time.
The Panthers selected Netwon out of Auburn with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft where he spent eight seasons in Carolina.
Newton, a former 2010 Heisman Trophy winner, and 2015 NFL MVP, didn’t finish the 2019 season due to a nagging foot injury and went 0-2, completing 50 of 89 passes (56.2 percent) for 572 yards and zero touchdowns to one interception. He also did a poor job on the ground, attempting five rushes for negative-two yards.
After three Pro Bowl seasons and an appearance in Super Bowl LI, Newton went 23-23 as the Panthers’ starter through 46 starts from 2016 to 2019. During his time in Carolina, Newton has completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 10,778 yards and 65 touchdowns to 44 interceptions.
Newton can be good. Not as good as he once was, of course, but with the right coaching under Arthur Smith and several weapons, he could get back on track and make for a reliable backup for many years to come.
It also helps that Newton is from Georgia, so he would be coming home. And he was spotted last offseason throwing to Calvin Ridley, so maybe they’ll do it again this March…and Ridley can persuade him, ey?
Cam Newton throwing with Atlanta Falcons wide receivers Christian Blake and Calvin Ridley, per Mohamed Sanu’s Instagram story 👀
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Cam Newton Could Be a Fit for Falcons