The once dominant New England Patriots came back down to earth in 2020. How did the Pats finish with their first 3rd place finish since 1988?
2020 record: 7-9
- Division record: 3-3
- Record against teams with winning records: 2-6
The first season in the post-Brady era fell flat for the team that had dominated the NFL in the past 19 years. They played a lot of high caliber competition with some highs (shutting out Justin Herbert en route to a 45-0 victory) and some lows (giving up 38 points to division rival BUF at home on MNF).
But any team that employers Bill Belichick will always be competing until the end. The 2020 Patriots did not make the playoffs but they fought hard and had some bright spots on both sides of the ball.
Team Ranks:
| Total Offense | 27th (5236 yards) |
| Passing Offense | 30th (2890 yards) |
| Rushing Offense | 4th (2346 yards) |
| Total Defense | 15th (5660 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense | 8th (3557 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense | 26th (2103 yards allowed) |
| PPG | 27th (20.4) |
| PPG Allowed | 7th (22.1) |
| Offensive Line Ranks | |
| PFF | 4th |
| Football Outsiders (Adjusted run yards) | 3rd (4.93) |
| Football Outsiders (Adjusted sack rate) | 28th (8.0%) |
| 2020 Offense Play Selection |
| Pass – 48.7 |
| Rush – 51.3% (2nd in NFL) |
| PFF Top 5 Graded Players in 2020 |
| 1. Damien Harris RB (90.3) |
| 2. Shaq Mason G (85.4) |
| 3. Michael Onwenu G (84.3) |
| 4. Isaiah Wynn LT (82.6) |
| 5. Jonathan Jones CB (80.7) |
Leading Passer: Cam Newton
- 65.8 completion percentage
- 2,657 yards
- 5 passing touchdowns through first 14 games (Had 3 in Week 17 game vs NYJ)
- 12 rushing touchdowns
Leading Rusher: Damien Harris
- 691 rushing yards
- 5.0 yards per carry
- Rushed for 100+ yards in 3 of 10 games played
Leading Receiver: Jakobi Meyers
- 59 catches
- 729 yards
- 37 first down receptions
Defensive MVP: J.C. Jackson
- 9 interceptions (2nd in NFL)
- 3 fumble recoveries
- 14 passes defended
How long did they hang in the playoff race until?
Week 15. The Patriots battled back from a tough start to win 4 out of 5 games in November. This had them at a 6-6 record going into a 3 game stretch against the Rams, Dolphins, and Bills. Their playoff hopes were on the line against opponents who all would finish with 10+ wins.
There’s no easy way to put it other than both sides of the ball collapsed during these games. They were outscored by a combined score of 84-24 during this stretch. They were not able to generate any real offensive firepower and ultimately ended up missing the playoffs as a result of this late December stretch.
Story of the season: Passing woes
Cam Newton is a fascinating case study in the NFL world. He came into New England and gave them a new identity as a physical QB who can run in between the tackles. After Week 2 in Seattle, most around the NFL world thought the Patriots were going to continuing churning greatness despite losing Tom Brady.
Shortly after Cam’s return from COVID, it became apparent that he was not going to be a threat throwing the ball. There were 4 games in 2020 where Cam threw for under 100 passing yards. There was also 9 games that he started in which he did not throw a TD pass.
So yes, Cam Newton is a big body runner who can excel in short yardage situations. But, in terms of passing, Newton’s struggles limited the offense’s ability to stay on the field and put up points.
In the modern era of football, it is a massive setback to be that limited in the passing attack.
