Boomer Esiason isn’t expecting much from the 2020 Patriots.
During an appearance Tuesday on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” Esiason cast serious doubt on New England’s chances this season. He also explained why, according to him, Cam Newton and the Patriots are not a good fit together.
“The bottom line is (Jarrett) Stidham got hurt, Cam got in there and they are paying him no money whatsoever,” Esiason said, as transcribed by WEEI’s Ryan Hannable. “When you see him up close and personal, he is an unbelievable athlete. Your breath actually gets taken away because he is so good. I still think this is not a great match. Although, I will say he’s got a great coaching staff. The coaching staff will put him in a situation and call the plays that I believe are going to get the best out of him. I don’t think he’s that accurate on third down. I think if he turns the football over, that is when a change could come.
“But, there’s no question Josh McDaniels will have plays in the playbook that they didn’t have with Tom Brady just simply because Cam is a better athlete. That doesn’t mean he’s a better quarterback; it just means he’s a different type of quarterback.
“I think it is one of the more fascinating stories in the league — the Patriots, basically with 19 players missing from last year’s squad, are basically going through a major rebuild. We all know it. Between the opt-outs, between the free agency (losses), Rob Gronkowski coming back to play with Tom Brady down in Tampa, this is going to be one interesting year for Coach (Bill) Belichick.”
Added Esiason: “I think a .500 record is definitely attainable, especially in the division that they are in. Miami is still rebuilding. The Jets, they are still rebuilding. Miami’s quarterback is not ready to get started yet, although Fitz (Ryan Fitzpatrick) could give everybody headaches like we’ve seen before, but he also could turn the ball over.”
We’ll revisit this in a few months, Boomer.
The Patriots will open their season Sunday at home against the Miami Dolphins.
Thumbnail photo via New England Patriots
