Tom Brady had been on the New England Patriots so long that he was there when Anthony Weaver was a defensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens (2002-05) and Houston Texans (2006-08). Brady was an institution under center for the AFC East club.
For Weaver, who is now the Texans’ defensive coordinator, it is a big adjustment to make in not seeing No. 12 on Patriots game film.
“It’s very weird,” Weaver said. “Obviously, they’re a completely different outfit then what they’ve been in the past.”
The Patriots signed former Carolina Panthers franchise quarterback Cam Newton to replace Brady. Through eight starts, New England is 4-4, though 4-5 on the season due to Newton missing a start thanks to a positive COVID-19 test.
On the season, Newton has thrown three touchdowns against seven interceptions, but has rushed for nine touchdowns, one less than he had in his MVP season of 2015 when Carolina went to Super Bowl 50.
“They’ve adjusted well,” Weaver said. “Give them credit. They haven’t tried to square peg-round hole anybody on that offense. They’re using Cam’s skillset. They’re best utilizing Cam’s skillet and they’re committing to running the football and then they’re taking their shots down the field.
“It’s definitely different, but you can tell they’re doing a very good job coaching because they’re using the pieces they have and trying to maximize their skillsets.”
The problem for the Texans is their run defense is susceptible to what is a strength for Newton. Houston has the worst run defense in the league by two metrics: yards per game (167.4) and yards per carry (5.2). The Texans will have to clean up their run defense if they hope to contain Newton and the Patriots’ rushing attack.