Bill Belichick sticking with Cam Newton as starting QB

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton had a night to forget against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday when he completed only nine of 16 passes for a paltry 119 yards with an interception and four sacks taken until he was replaced by backup Jarrett Stidham late in the 24-3 prime-time thrashing. 

While head coach Bill Belichick had clearly seen enough of Newton on Thursday evening, he isn't yet ready to make a full-time change at the position or commit to playing multiple signal-callers ahead of this coming Sunday's contest at the Miami Dolphins. 

"That's not where we are right now. We're not there now," Belichick said during a Monday appearance on local radio station WEEI, per Kevin Patra of the league's official website. 

New England now sits at 6-7 for what has become a disappointing season and is two games back in the wild-card race with three matchups remaining. The Patriots face the 10-3 Buffalo Bills on Dec. 28 and then end the campaign versus the winless New York Jets on Jan. 3. 

Newton, a one-time regular season Most Valuable Player, put pen to paper on a team-friendly one-year contract to join the Patriots in the summer and has played well below expectations for the majority of the fall. It's unknown if Belichick would turn to Stidham, a fourth-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, if the Patriots are eliminated from playoff contention before Week 17.