The Bills and rest of the AFC East will welcome newly-minted Patriots quarterback Cam Newton to the division next season. From year-to-year, things change in the NFL, let alone several years in between.
Newton’s addition has many thoughts scrambling in terms of the AFC East. Who is the favorite now? The Bills or the Patriots? Some oddsmakers are saying the Patriots are the ones to beat now.
In New England, Newton will be the favorite to beat out Jarrett Stidham, a 2019 fourth-round pick, for the Pats’ starting QB job. If he does so, could the past be foreshadowing the future for the Bills and Patriots in 2020?
Buffalo will certainly hope so.
Previously the MVP and No.1 overall pick with the Panthers, Newton has suited up against the Bills, but few and far times in between. In two games against the Bills, Newton’s 1-1 overall in his career. In doing so, he’s been pretty bad both times as well.
The first time Newton faced the Bills was at New Era Field in Orchard Park back in the 2013 season. It was Week 2 and the win for the Bills was a very memorable one for the quarterback. No, not that quarterback, the other one, EJ Manuel. Perhaps the best highlight of his NFL career, Manuel led the Bills to a 24-23 win by connecting with a wide open Stevie Johnson in the end zone with only two seconds left on the clock.
In that first outing, Newton did have two touchdowns but added an interception and only completed 55 percent of his passes.
The last time Newton played against the Bills, he won, but it wasn’t a pretty day and this game is perhaps more indicative of the future. Ironically enough, another Week 2 meeting between the Bills and Panthers, but this time at Bank of America Stadium and in 2017. That was Sean McDermott’s first season at the helm of the Bills. So the defense was pretty similar to the one Newton would potentially play against with the Patriots.
As mentioned, it was a win for Newton. He completed 62 percent of his passes and didn’t turn the ball over and only had one less passing yard than his first game against Buffalo, 228 yards. But here’s why the Bills will be happy reflecting on this one: It was only a 9-3 win for the Panthers. The Bills defense kept Newton out of the end zone entirely, and now this Bills defense has three complete seasons of chemistry built, as opposed to, quite literally, only one game prior to facing Newton.
That should stir some confidence up in the Bills defense.
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