Cam Newton Earns First Pro Bowl Nod Since 2015

It wouldn’t be in proper respect to say that Cam Newton’s play fell off a cliff after winning the Most Valuable Player Award in 2015. But, he certainly hasn’t found easy sledding returning to that level of play.

Since 2015, Newton-led teams don’t have a winning record; they’ve gone just 23-23, and Newton has thrown for 65 touchdowns and 44 interceptions. But here’s something to think about. Among QBs to throw at least 1,000 passes, Newton’s 82.6 QBR ranks 27th out of 28 quarterbacks, ahead of only Blake Bortles.

Expect that to change this year, especially if health permits. The Patriots style of play makes this plausible. Per Brett Kollmann, Newton ranked last in the NFL in passes beyond 20+ yards (8.7 percent). And he was among the best in the NFL in pressure rate vs. actual sacks.

To connect the dots, that means Newton’s bread-and-butter comes on short-to-intermediate routes and quick decisions, a staple in New England’s offense. With short yardage savants like Julian Edelman and James White, expect Cam Newton to compete for a career-high in completion percentage, and have longer drives that lead to scores.

In 2018, the last time we had a healthy Newton, the Panthers ranked among the top 10 in yards and points per drive, in large part because of their ability to dissect defenses. My guess is that we’ll see a similar act with the 2020 New England Patriots.