FOXBOROUGH, Mass. Cam Newton mostly struck a positive chord in his first year with the New England Patriots, but after another frustrating performance in which he was pulled halfway through the third quarter from a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Newton was asked about an image in ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” broadcast that shows him waking up at 4:20 a.m. every day, leaving his home at 4:30 a.m. and not retiring for 11:30 p.m.
“It was my schedule for 90% of the time I was here, so you can understand the frustration I have when I do not get the result, because I sacrifice so much. You talk to a person who has all three of his children. months have not seen, ‘Newton said.
“It’s clear that the contract is what it is. To submit myself to this team, I’ve done since day one. Be accessible. Yes, it’s frustrating. It makes you angry.”
Newton plays a one-year contract with a minimum base salary of $ 1.05 million. The contract contains incentives and bonuses that will eventually increase its value by approximately $ 2.6 million.
On Monday night against the Bills, he finished 5-of-10 passes for 34 yards, while four rushes for 24 yards, which included a 9-yard touchdown on a scrambled game.
Coach Bill Belichick trailed him by 8 minutes, 21 seconds left in the third quarter, with the Bills leading 31-9.
“Cam did a great job for us. I mean, that was not the problem,” Belichick said of the decision to turn to second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham. “We were not very competitive in the game.”
In honesty for Newton, he threw a perfect downward strike to receiver Damiere Byrd on the first ride of the game that dropped Byrd. The play highlighted how the issues of the Patriots go beyond Newton himself, as their receivers and tight ends were among the least productive in the NFL this season.
But Newton also admitted he could play better, too.
“It’s extremely frustrating, to know what you’re capable of, to believe in yourself. It just does not show when it counts the most,” he said.
Belichick said he has not yet decided on his quarterback plans for the final Sunday against the visiting New York Jets.
On Belichick’s support so far, Newton said: “The feeling is mutual. I will continue to improve and get more comfortable in this offense every week for the last week I can. Let’s see where it gets me.”
But his frustration was palpable late Monday night.
“It makes you angry to know that to be a reliable teammate, you must first be subjected to authority and must be subjected to what the coaches ask of you. I feel like I did it. I’m not in place “I’m more or less going out now, yes, I’ve sacrificed so much this year,” he said.
“I mean, it hurts when you go tonight, just to go home, and it starts all week long.”