Heading into the season, Rex Ryan seemingly didn't expect the New England Patriots would be in the mix for a playoff spot.
Now, only two weeks into the 2020 campaign, Ryan believes the Patriots returning to the postseason once again is a very real possibility.
Ryan's shift in opinion effectively was prompted by one person: Cam Newton. Following an impressive two-touchdown performance in his New England debut, Newton took his game to the next level in Week 2. The star signal-caller again ran for two scores while throwing for nearly 400 yards. Newton and Co. fell one yard short of upsetting the Seattle Seahawks, a legitimate Super Bowl LV contender, in their own building.
Newton's early season play has surprised Ryan, who on Monday was asked if the 2015 NFL MVP is looking like the prime version of himself.
"Yeah, that's what's so scary about this," Ryan said on ESPN's "Get Up." "Look, I wanted to write off the Patriots. I'm like, 'Hey, let's just hand it to the Bills right now.' That may very well happen, but I'll tell you what, they're going to have to beat New England. Look, they didn't win the game, but they won the night. Cam Newton, to me, look at the zip. I never thought he'd have the zip ever again with the shoulder injuries and all the injuries he's had. But he clearly has it.
"Look, I still don't like their weapons, yet he made it work to the tune of 400 yards passing. So, I mean, man, oh, man, if you're a Patriots fan, you can sleep well. You've got a hell of a quarterback still."
Newton will look to keep things rolling Sunday in a game that now has increased anticipation. The 2-0 Las Vegas Raiders will enter Foxboro coming off an impressive two-score win over the New Orleans Saints.
Thumbnail photo via Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports Images
