Heading into the 2020 season, the New England Patriots are entering the campaign with a different feel in more ways than one. Offensively, the organization will have an entirely new look, likely with Cam Newton at the helm. Defensively, things will remain the same. All in all, there are still questions to be had about both sides of the ball.
With the Patriots facing a difficult schedule next season, they will certainly be challenged in all aspects. With the AFC East getting stronger, this could be the first year in quite some time that they will face stiff competition. It should make for an interesting season as everybody will have to adapt to the changing landscape of the organization.
I take a look at five burning questions for the Patriots in 2020.
Will Cam Newton be able to shake off his rust?
With the Patriots bringing in Newton, there is a question as to whether he will be able to shake off his rust from not playing in quite some time.
The last game that Newton played in was against Tampa Bay in Week 2 of the 2019 season. In that contest, he went 25-of-51 on the afternoon, throwing for 333 yards on the day. After that, the Panthers shut down for the season.
The Patriots have seen firsthand what type of quarterback Newton can be when he is healthy. He’s 2-0 against Bill Belichick while completing 72% of his passes for 525 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 106 more yards and a touchdown in those two games.
However, he has now had foot and shoulder problems since the last time the Patriots faced the Panthers. Newton certainly has a plethora of injuries in addition to his rust from not playing since last September. Will he be able to shake it off? That’s perhaps the biggest question on this list, especially if New England wants to beat out Jarrett Stidham in a quarterback competition.
Can the tight ends contribute with consistent production, particularly from rookies?
For years, the New England Patriots have relied on the tight end as a major part of their offense. Now, they will have two rookie tight ends ready to make an impact. The question remains, can the Patriots get ample production from the position?
In his college career, Devin Asiasi recorded 52 receptions for 789 yards and six touchdowns. Between him and Dalton Keene, he may be the better receiver. Keene is known as more of a physical, blocking tight end. Despite his reputation for a physical play style, he too is in a position to be heavily counted on. He recorded 59 receptions for 748 yards and a touchdown in three years at Virginia Tech.
Having rookies step up and possibly be a focal part of the offense is a lot to ask. However, the Patriots only recorded 418 yards and a touchdown from four different tight ends in 2019. The offense definitely needs the tight end position take a larger role in the offense.
Can the young wideouts find their groove?
N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers were two rookies last season that received their first look at the New England offense. Now, can they make a big leap in their second year?
Harry was bogged down by injuries for most of the 2019 season. As a result, he only recorded 12 catches for 124 yards. Meyers had a great preseason with Stidham in 2019 and he produced at a decent level in regular play, recording 26 catches for 259 yards. That was him fourth on the team in yards.
The duo certainly did not have bad seasons by any means. it’s very clear that Bill Belichick believes in these two. Despite grabbing a couple of wideouts via the undrafted free agent pool, the organization decided not to draft any in what was a deep class. That certainly is a vote of confidence for Harry and Myers. Can they live up to it?
With a rookie quarterback under center, their targets could to be sparse. Alternatively, the connection between Stidham and Meyers could be rekindled. For his part, Harry could come into his own. Whatever the case may be, the duo need to show some form of improvement in their second year.
Will the youth movement at linebacker step up?
The youth movement at linebacker for the Patriots is very noticeable. With Don’t’a Hightower and Jamie Collins being the veterans at the position, that leaves an opportunity for some of the younger players to play.
Take second-year player Chase Winovich for example. He recorded 26 tackles and 5.5 sacks last year. He could definitely be a key player at the position for 2020. Looking at the draft, the Patriots stocked up on linebackers. Anfernee Jennings, Josh Uche, Cassh Maluia, and Kyahva Tezino were all selected in the draft in April. They are the future of the position
Can the youth make an impact this year? My guess is yes. With the losses of Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts, that leaves opportunities for the younger players to play. The more experience they can get, the more beneficial it will be for New England. Something tells me that we will hear much more from the draft picks in the coming years.
Can the secondary consistently play at a high level?
Can the secondary play at a high level in 2020? That something that is both intriguing and imperative moving forward.
Last season, the New England defense started out strong. However, with the strength of the AFC East being rather low, they did not really face a challenge until they took on the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens were able to expose some of the Patriots’ flaws defensively. After the Ravens game, the defense did not seem as invincible.
Even still, the unit finished first in least yards allowed per game (275.5) first in least points allowed on the year (235), and finished with the least points allowed per game (14.1)
The defense, specifically the secondary, will not have as easy a time this year. New England’s schedule is ranked as the toughest in all of football, and they will certainly be challenged. With New England returning most of the secondary, the defense is in a tremendous position to succeed next year. With tough matchups throughout the schedule, it will be interesting to see if they can sustain high-level play.
