4 New England Patriots the Las Vegas Raiders should worry about in Week 3
Cam Newton
Gone are days when preparing for the Patriots meant having to game plan for a quarterback that is considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest of all time. But just because Tom Brady isn’t leading the offense doesn’t mean they are lacking talent at the position.
As much as Belichick is a genius at adjusting in-game, he is just as much of a guru at catering his offensive plan around the weapons he has at his disposal.
The Patriots went out and got one of the more polarizing quarterbacks of the last ten years in Cam Newton. After failing to find a trade partner, the Carolina Panthers released Newton after he missed most of the 2019 season rehabbing from foot surgery. The 2015 NFL MVP who lead his team to a 15-1 record that year, has changed the definition of a dual threat quarterback in his nine years in the league.
After just two weeks of being the head signal caller for this new look Patriots offense, there is no denying that Bill Belichick has incorporated many of the plays and schemes that made Newton so dynamic in Carolina. While Week 1 against Miami was pretty evenly distributed between his designed runs and passes, in Week 2 they let him sling the football going 30/44 with 397 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
He also added two touchdowns to go along with 47 yards rushing the ball.
If the Raiders are going to slow down the dual threat quarterback they are going to have to play disciplined football. The defensive line not only needs to get pressure early and often, but they need to be able to set the edge better then they started off against the Saints. With the designed runs and RPO’s Belichick has dialed up for his new quarterback, he has the ability to beat the Raiders defense just as much on the ground as he does through the air.