To say the New England Patriots are going to look different in the 2020 NFL season might be an understatement.
In addition to a handful of new faces on the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots will have a new quarterback leading the offense for the first time in two decades. And should Cam Newton beat out Jarrett Stidham for the starting job, New England potentially could operate with an offensive style that has never been seen in the Bill Belichick era.
NFL analyst Shaun O’Hara on Thursday projected what a Newton-led offense in Foxboro might look like. The former New York Giants center believes that unit would be a force to be reckoned with on the ground.
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“…This offense is going to look totally different,” O’Hara said on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” “Now, I think Cam Newton is going to bring a number of different things to this offense. We will see a lot more play-action bootlegs, a lot more naked bootlegs. We didn’t see Tom Brady roll out because that’s not what he does best. What does Cam Newton do best? Does he throw better on the run or does he throw better from the pocket? So I expect to see a lot more move-the-pocket plays. We’re going to see Cam running with the football. Look, Tom Brady’s never had more than 110 yards rushing in a season. Cam could have that Week 1.
“No doubt this offense is going to be more athletic with him at quarterback. I think they might be more physical, too. I could see them bringing in three tight ends and just say, ‘Look, we’re bigger than you. We’re going to overpower you.’ We’ve seen them in November have 200-plus rushing-yard games. They could have 300 yards rushing with Cam at quarterback.”
Newton, when healthy, certainly has the skill set to spark new energy in a Patriots offense that regressed as the 2019 season unfolded. But as former New England safety Rodney Harrison recently explained, the 2015 NFL MVP likely already has made an impact in New England.
