Belichick makes it clear: Cam Newton is Patriots' QB despite loss to Rams originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick doesn't sound like someone willing to make a change at quarterback.
Cam Newton gave another lackluster performance as the team's starting quarterback in a 24-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night. He completed nine of 16 pass attempts for 119 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception.
Instant takeaways from Patriots' loss to Rams
But despite the lack of success in the passing game, Belichick is sticking with the veteran QB going forward.
"Cam's our quarterback," Belichick said during his postgame press conference. When asked what has Newton shown to continue being the starting quarterback, Belichick again said, "He's our quarterback."
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The Rams have one of the NFL's best defenses and their pass rush was absolutely relentless against a Patriots offensive line that has played pretty well this season. Los Angeles tallied six sacks, including four when Newton was in the game. The Rams held the Patriots to just 220 yards of offense overall.
"We knew exactly what they were going to do. We just got to be better, and it starts with me, personally," Newton admitted in his postgame press conference. "We just have to make more plays, that's what it comes down to."
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Newton has completed just 56.6 percent (30/53) of his passes for 272 yards with one touchdown pass and three interceptions over the last three games.
He was benched in the fourth quarter Thursday night when it was clear the Patriots weren't going to mount any type of comeback. Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham made his fourth appearance of the season and completed five of seven pass attempts, while also being sacked twice in limited action.
When asked if he was concerned about being bench for next week's matchup against the Miami Dolphins, Newton said, "That's not my call. I'm just doing what I'm asked. I go into each and every week with the mentality to get better, and that's what I plan on doing."
Belichick has stuck with Newton throughout the season despite the former league MVP's struggles throwing the football. But with the playoffs quickly becoming an unattainable goal for the Patriots, it wouldn't be a bad idea to see what Stidham can do as the starter with a full week of preparation and practice for that role.
