Cam Newton: This Year Has Been Unacceptable

Speaking to the fans on his Instagram, Cam Newton admitted that 2020 was unacceptable

Cam Newton is taking responsibility for New England's struggles.

The New England Patriots quarterback took to Instagram on Monday to express his feeling towards the way the season has played out for him and the Patriots. 

“Dear Patriots Nation, I will be the first to tell you that this year has been unacceptable in more ways than one!! And the standard has been and always will be set; and unfortunately we (I) did not live up to what that standard was at all times or consistently enough!! With that being said the answers are in the locker room and one thing I do know about this bunch is that this locker room is filled with guys who want to be a part of the solution including me!!”

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New England's season is over before the end of the regular season. They are missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The mighty have fallen rather quickly.

While Newton isn't the sole reason for the Patriots' struggles, he does deserve some blame. While he has been great running the ball, his ability to throw the ball has been less than stellar. Newton has thrown for less than 2,500 yards and only has five passing touchdowns while throwing 10 interceptions. That simply isn't good enough.

If New England wanted to sneak into the playoffs, they would need Newton to be throwing the ball as he did in his MVP season. It's safe to say that wasn't the case.

The one thing that Newton has shown is that he is a great leader. Throughout the season he has taken the blame for New England's struggles. Reading Newton's caption, you can see that he hopes to stay in New England. Also, he believes in his teammates and thinks that this group of players can go far.

With the Patriots still missing their franchise quarterback, it wouldn't be the worst idea to keep Newton. Bill Belichick will need players to buy in and give it their all even if a Super Bowl isn't in the cards. 

Newton has done everything that has been asked of him. His leadership has been spectacular, especially for someone's first year with a team.

We have seen Newton lift up players like N'Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers even when they have struggled. That isn't something that we saw from a certain former Patriots quarterback.

The question that remains - will Newton get that opportunity? The Patriots could look for other options under center. Jarrett Stidham is still on the roster and it's likely that the Patriots select a QB in the 2021 NFL Draft.

It will be interesting to see how Newton and the six-time Super Bowl champions finish now that they are officially out of the playoffs. Even with games seeming to be meaningless, expect Newton to try and prove a point before the regular season ends.