Somehow the New England Patriots can beat these well-rounded teams in the NFL but fall to the Texans. Can anyone make sense of it? This game was an absolute barn burner. Cam Newton displayed the ugliest football performance this year. Newton finished the game 9/18, passing with 84 yards thrown, including two interceptions to zero touchdowns. Newton took two sacks while rushing the ball nine times for 46 yards. Trying to understand the Cam Newton experience this season has been an absolute roller coaster.
At the beginning of the season, I was 100 percent behind the signing, I still am, but if the Patriots go into the 2021 NFL draft and don’t select a quarterback in the first round, it will be a worst-case scenario. This team needs help on the offensive side of the ball more than ever. I don’t want to get into who was in the same draft class with Patriots wide receiver N’Keal Harry because it will only make the draft pick look worse than it already is. Harry is struggling to get any flow of his game going, and every game, he looks more depleted. Harry was targeted three times yesterday with no catches hauled in. The only reason fans know he was in the game was because of the penalties that were called on him. The two stand-out receivers are undrafted free agent Jakobi Meyers who grabbed 5 of the six balls thrown his way for 52 yards, and free-agent signee Damiere Byrd who was quiet yesterday but has helped this offensive since Edelmen went down.
Kicker Nick Folk has been the surprise star. Folk was inconsistent last season but won the job against the 5th round pick Justin Rohrwasser during camp. Folk went 2/2 with extra-point kicks and 2/2 in field goals. The biggest coming as time expired, Folk hit a 50-yard field goal to seal the impressive win against the Cardinals. Tough competition lays ahead for this Patriots team, but if I have learned anything, it is that they don’t stop fighting. Any outcome is possible with this team.
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