Cam Newton completed 17-of-27 passes for 209 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions in the Patriots' 22-12, Week 15 loss to the Dolphins, adding nine carries for 38 additional yards.
With the defeat, the Patriots are now 6-8 and eliminated from the postseason for the first time since 2008. It was another dispiriting affair from Newton, one where he was lucky to escape without a turnover. Newton appeared to commit an 82-yard fumble six in the second quarter, but the NFL busted out the Hubble Telescope to determine an out-of-bounds Dolphin's leg grazed the ball before Xavien Howard picked it up and housed it. It was the right call, but also one of the unfortunate side effects of replay. For his part, Newton was more accurate than he has been in some recent performances, but he continued to display frighteningly little arm strength. Newton's years-long shoulder issues have sapped his one prodigious deep ball ability. Newton heads into Week 16 with five passing scores all year, and just two rushing touchdowns across his past five games. He will not be a recommended QB2 vs. the Bills.
Dec 20, 2020, 4:13 PM ET