The New England Patriots are set to sign former MVP quarterback Cam Newton according to multiple reports. That could throw an interesting wrench into the middle of the 49ers’ schedule.
San Francisco’s Week 7 trip to New England was never going to be easy, even if Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer was the starting quarterback. Bill Belichick is arguably the greatest coach in NFL history and beating his teams, specifically his defenses, has been one of the most difficult feats in the league over the last two decades. Signing Newton, who will presumably win the starting quarterback job if he’s healthy, gives the Patriots offense an added layer of difficulty for the 49ers’ defense.
While Newton is not the same player that won the MVP award and guided the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2015, he’s considerably more potent than Hoyer, and likely better than Stidham who has 14 yards and one interception on four NFL pass attempts. San Francisco’s defense was primed to have a field day with either of the other two Patriots signal callers. Newton makes that less of a certainty.
Last season Newton dealt with a foot injury that sidelined him for the year, and he’s had multiple shoulder surgeries over the past couple of seasons. It stands to reason that part of his dip in production had to do with injuries, and a full season off should help him get back to being the big-armed, dual-threat quarterback that ran roughshod over defenses for most of last decade.
There’s always a chance Newton doesn’t return to form though and his penchant for turnovers and pushing the ball down the field doesn’t jibe with Belichick’s offensive philosophy. However, given Belichick’s ability to adapt his schemes to fit his personnel, the odds are good that New England’s offense will be more dangerous with Newton than it was due to be with either Hoyer or Stidham. And if that’s the case — the 49ers’ Week 7 showdown in Foxborough just got a lot more daunting.
