5 bold predictions for New England Patriots in 2021
1. Cam Newton will rush for over 1,000 yards
The Patriots didn’t bring Newton back into the fold for him to throw the ball around like Tom Brady in 2021. Instead, they’re going to retool their offense around what Newton does best at the position.
At this stage of his career, Newton’s greatest strength is his ability to run the football with speed and power. The Patriots are going to base their offense largely around his ability to pound opposing defenses into submission on the ground.
Admittedly, that will expose Newton to a great deal of injury risk on a weekly basis. He has the size to take a massive amount of pounding though. If things break right, his body will hold up enough to soak up a ton of carries in 2021.
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Newton tallied 137 carries last season but he might push that number to something closer to 200 if Belichick gets his way this season. Projecting him to average five yards per carry is relatively conservative. The Patriots have a real shot to get back to the postseason if Newton exceeds 1,000 yards on the ground.