3 reasons Cam Newton won’t make the playoffs in 2020

Carolina Panthers Reason No. 3: Weapons and Passing Accuracy

The New England Patriots’ offensive struggles in 2019 were well documented. They almost reached the postseason in spite of their ability to put points on the board., And their flaws were exposed at the earliest possible opportunity with a shock home loss to the Tennessee Titans.

The franchise didn’t exactly do much to strengthen the weapons at their disposal next season. This was a loaded wide receiver class in 2020. And it might have been prudent for the Patriots to get someone in the second round rather than allocate their pick on a reach in the form of safety Kyle Dugger.

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They ranked last in the NFL creating separation on routes in 2019. And the Patriots’ dropped passes was another area of significant concern. Cam Newton has a lot of outstanding skills to work with., But his passing accuracy has been a problem throughout his career.

If his receivers suffer the same sort of struggles getting open next season, it is going to be a long season for the former Carolina Panthers quarterback. He has a career passing accuracy of 59.6 percent, which includes a career-low of 52.9 just one season after he won the MVP Award in 2016.

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels reportedly “wasn’t high” on Newton during his interview for the vacant head coaching job in Carolina. But he will now be tasked with putting his new signal-caller in the best possible position to succeed.

That will be easier said than done. Julian Edelman had a career-high 13 drops in 2019, which was 8.5% of the catchable balls thrown his way. First-rounder N’Keal Harry was barely a factor during his rookie season. And the jury is still out as to whether he can become a prominent target in the coming years.

Mohamed Sanu also experienced some difficulties after arriving in a trade from the Atlanta Falcons with six drops. So there are plenty of questions to answer regarding the group Newton will be working with.