With its season effectively over after the elimination of the playoff dispute, the New England Patriots can now use the final two weeks of the regular season to assess the squad and prepare as best they can for 2021. Nowhere is this more crucial than the quarterback.
Through ups and downs, the Patriots kept Cam Newton as the starter in the most important position on the field. After yet another disappointing offensive departure and with the team no longer able to make it into the postseason, however, there is now a time for a possible change to second-year reserve Jarrett Stidham.
Stidham has seen the field a few times this year, but he never challenged Newton to the starting role, as his performances were unremarkable. The former draft of the fourth round completed just 54.5 percent of his shots (18 of 33) for 212 yards, as well as a 2 to 3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The problem for New England is that Newton has done only marginally better as a pitcher so far this season.
So fans are eager to see what Stidham has to offer – and two recent polls show just how much support he has within the fan base.
SB Nation’s latest Reacts The survey showed that 79% of respondents chose Stidham as the starting point for the New England week 16 match against Buffalo Bills. In fact, those numbers are slightly lower than the Pats Pulpit poll published earlier this week: 86 percent went with Stidham instead of Newton.
Whether this significant portion of the Patriots’ fan base is going to get what it wants at one point during the final two weeks of the regular season, remains to be seen. However, it looks like New England will stay with Newton at least in the game against Buffalo. How much action Stidham will see during the game, if any, is yet to be seen, even if he hasn’t led the attack since the first snap of the day.
Fans may disagree with this approach, but public opinion, of course, has never faced Patriots coach Belichick. As he said during the 2001 season, when asked about the decision to start Tom Brady instead of Drew Bledsoe, he made the call based on what he believes is best for the team.
“I know we are going to research the coaches; let’s research the fans; we are going to research the fourth graders, the barbers, we are going to research everyone, ”he said in November of that year. “What the polls and all the other speculations and controversies and conversations are going on is outside of anything we have any control over. We’re just trying to get ready to win a football game, that’s it. “
Although the situation in 2020 is not the same as in 2001, Belichick will have to make another decision on the position of defender – both in the last two weeks of the regular season, and then with Newton and veteran Brian Hoyer scheduled to join the agency for free.
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