Patriots: There’s no reason to complain about Cam Newton starting vs Bills

Patriots fans shouldn’t have any qualms with Cam Newton starting vs Buffalo.

The New England Patriots being eliminated from playoff contention has resulted in fans and certain members of the media calling for a quarterback change.

If this was a meritocracy and the Patriots had a backup who was lighting up practice, that opinion would make sense, as Cam Newton has been brutal over the last four weeks, completing just 58.7% of his passes for 120.2 yards per game and one touchdown to three interceptions. For those wondering, those numbers add up to a heinous 62.9 passer rating.

In normal circumstances, those numbers would warrant a benching. However, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that, given the lack of realistic alternative options, the Patriots consider running it back with Newton under center in 2021.

Taking all of that into account, wouldn’t it make sense for him to get as many reps as possible over the final two games?

People seriously need to stop trying to force Jarrett Stidham onto the field. If the Patriots viewed him as anything more than a backup, they obviously wouldn’t think twice about sitting Newton on the bench and letting him pull the strings of the offense.

If the 2019 fourth-round pick being unable to earn playing time amid Newton’s abominable stretch of games doesn’t prove that he isn’t the long-term answer at quarterback for the Patriots, then nothing does, so can we please stop trying to pretend like that could be the case?

Since Newton is clearly ahead of Stidham in the current QB pecking order, as well as heading into the offseason, why would the Patriots mess around and start a guy who’s destined to spend the duration of his career as a backup? We mean no disrespect to Stidham, but there’s simply no downside of continuing to roll with the former MVP.

Either he continues to play terribly and makes the Patriots’ decision to part ways with him in the offseason a no-brainer, or he shows significant signs of improvement that indicate he could be THE guy with a rejuvenated assortment of weapons.

With the Patriots having nothing to play for anymore in 2020, preparing for next season has to be the top priority of the front office and coaching staff. Since they could potentially consider re-signing Newton on the cheap in free agency, him starting vs the Bills is undoubtedly the right call.

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