6. Newton’s injuries disrupted a breakthrough in efficiency
As mentioned, Newton’s 2018 season was an impressive one. His completion percentage had never been higher at 67.9. His previous single-season high was in 2013 when he completed 61.7% of his passes. It’s actually wild just how efficient Newton got without sacrificing much in terms of yards per attempt, which finished at 7.2 – the fourth-best figure in his nine-year career. Belichick probably saw that 2018 season and thought Newton looked better than ever, even if some of his statistics (like his rushing totals) were down.