The New England Patriots may have defeated the Arizona Cardinals by a 20-17 margin on Sunday, but it was far from a pretty win. Patriots quarterback Cam Newton knew that he didn’t perform his best, and apologized to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels following the game.
On the day, Newton went 9 of 18 through the air, throwing for 84 yards and two interceptions. His 23.6 quarterback rating was his lowest of the season.
Television cameras caught Newton telling McDaniels “I’m sorry, man” following the game-winning field goal from Nick Folk. Newton elaborated on what he said to McDaniels on the Greg Hill Show Monday morning.
“It was just a culmination of everything,” the quarterback said. “And you don’t know when the camera’s on you. You don’t know when somebody’s shining a light. When you play in the National Football League, you play a professional sport where the camera is always on you. It was just a dialogue between me and Josh, man. Everybody was happy, as was I, and I just knew I jeopardized the team in a way. And nobody — especially not one of the leaders on the team — wants to have that happen.
“And I knew. You’re talking to a person who’s not oblivious to the way that I played (Sunday). It’s unacceptable. But at the same time, I’m not about to sit up here and be sorry, sorry, sorry; apologize, apologize, apologize. I said what I had to say, and it’s time to move forward.”
As the Patriots get set to face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Newton will get an opportunity to redeem himself. Continued progression will be important for Newton as New England looks to stay in the playoff hunt.
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