Cam Newton played miserably in the New England Patriots’ loss to the Denver Broncos last week, and he might have been even worse against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Newton was so bad, in fact, that people are beginning to wonder if he is once again having problems with his throwing shoulder.
Newton completed just 4 of 8 passes for 30 yards and threw two interceptions in the first half of Sunday’s game. The incompletions and interceptions were horribly off the mark, including one throw where Newton appeared to have a receiver open on third down short-armed a ball into the turf. Most of his passes had no zip on them like the one below:
Newton also threw two interceptions in Week 6. His accuracy has suddenly become a huge issue, and some who have watched him over the years feel like the former MVP is throwing the ball similarly to how he did when he had a shoulder injury.
While he was said to be fully healthy when the Patriots signed him, Newton has undergone multiple shoulder procedures in recent years. That is one of the main reasons 31 teams passed on trying to sign him this offseason and there was only one team willing to offer him a chance to start.
It’s possible Newton is struggling because he missed time with the coronavirus. The Patriots also have a horrible receiving corps, and they are reportedly trying to change that ahead of next week’s trade deadline. Whatever the case, the Newton who threw for 397 yards and nearly led the Patriots to a win over the Seattle Seahawks last month is nowhere to be found. The shoulder is worth monitoring.
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