With Tom Brady in Tampa Bay (that will never stop being weird) not to mention six months into a unfathomable global pandemic, we are just happy to have the NFL back to take our minds off of the constant nightmares going on daily all around us. With no preseason, today was the first time we saw Cam Newton (15-for-19, 155 yards; 15 carries, 75 yards, 2 TDs) in game action as a Patriot and it was a major success. In front of an empty Gillette Stadium, New England (1-0) beat Miami (0-1) 21-11 to begin the 2020 campaign. Showing off their totally revamped offense, the Pats ran the ball a whopping 42 times to control the clock for nearly 35 minutes (34:49).
After beating them in the 2019 regular season finale (which cost the Patriots the No. 2 seed and a bye), Ryan Fitzpatrick (20-for-30, 191 yards, 3 INTs) turned back into a pumpkin well before Halloween. With no Brady to lean on anymore, this season will be all about head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels doing everything they can to get the most out of a limited roster. Let's remember though, that the Pats still reside in the AFC East where the Jets (0-1) and Phins are basically rebuilding for life while the Bills (1-0) look like their one legitimate threat. As much as those guys have to prove, Newton is in the same boat when it comes to his on-the-field production. At 31 and after only playing in two games last season with Carolina, his career is at a serious crossroads (shoutout to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony!) and he figures to make an absurd amount of money if he can regain some of his 2015 MVP form.
It should come as no surprise given Cam's incredible running skills and New England's lack of dangerous receivers other than Julian Edelman (5 catches, 57 yards; 1 rush, 23 yards) that the playbook was essentially whittled down to a Massachusetts high school style run-heavy attack. Outside of Newton-who set a Patriots record for most rushing attempts by a QB-four other Patriots had at least four carries: Sony Michel (10 carries, 37 yards, TD) was followed closely by Rex Burkhead (7 catches, 32 yards) while tiny (5-foot-6) rookie J.J. Taylor (4 carries, 28 yards) and James White (3 catches, 30 yards; 5 catches, 22 yards) had over 50 combined yards on just eight touches.
When the Patriots face a true No. 1 cornerback that can cover Edelman, they are going to be in trouble at least in terms of their shaky passing game. Ditto for any high-scoring opponent that will force them to speed things up and match them touchdown for touchdown. N'Keal Harry (5 catches, 39 yards) showed flashes but he fumbled right on the goal-line when New England could have put the game away at 21-3 late in the third quarter. If only they had a real tight end and not Ryan Izzo (1 catch, 25 yards). Miami used three different running backs but none of them could gain much traction as they combined for only 87 yards on 27 carries (3.2 yards per carry). The Pats also had some good fortune when the Dolphins only above average wide receiver-DeVante Parker (4 catches, 47 yards)-left in the third quarter with a hamstring injury that had been bugging him lately.
After a scoreless first quarter, Newton put the Patriots in front with a four-yard touchdown run to cap off an 11-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 6:11. In the first half, New England didn't make Fitzpatrick pay for his mistakes since they went three-and-out and punted after Gilmore picked him off. Jason Sanders cut it to 7-3 Patriots with a 46-yard field goal that was tipped but still somehow had enough power to make it over the crossbar. New Patriots safety Adrian Phillips intercepted Fitzpatrick near midfield with time running down in the half. Six plays later, New England was in field goal range (45 yards) but Nick Folk missed it wide right so it was 7-3 Patriots at halftime.
Like the good old days with Brady, the Pats began the third quarter with the ball and marched right down the field (8 plays, 75 yards, 4:46) and ended it with another TD run by Cam-this time from 11 yards out. New England's defense forced a three-and-out and after another long drive, it looked like they would go up 21-3 but then Harry was crushed by linebacker Jerome Baker (13 solo tackles, 3 assists, sack) and the football went out of the end zone for a touchback. That pumped up Miami as they put together their only real drive (11 plays, 80 yards, 5:23) of the entire day. Jordan Howard ran it in from one-yard and Fitzpatrick followed with a run of his own for the two-point conversion that made it 14-11 Patriots. New England responded as they went 75 yards in 10 plays and 5:18. Michel ended it with a one-yard touchdown run and on the ensuing drive for the Dolphins, Fitzpatrick lobbed up one more grenade-this time to J.C. Jackson to clinch the victory for the home team.
All and all, it was a fun day as the Pats proved right off the bat that this season shouldn't be a total waste of our precious time. They still have the best coach ever in the NFL and if Newton can play like this, there's no reason they can't win the AFC East and make the playoffs. With that said, next week's Sunday night (8:20, NBC) showdown in Seattle (1-0) could be a sobering reality check. Russell Wilson is one of the top quarterbacks in the league and they will definitely have their hands full trying to stop him. Let the record show that 43-year-old Brady (23-for-36, 239 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs; rushing TD) looked his age in a clunky 34-23 loss at New Orleans this afternoon. It sucks that it had to end like that for the greatest athlete in Boston sports history but at least if properly managed, New England seems to have found a bargain basement steal in Newton.
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