Now that Cam Newton is on Tom Brady's former team, the New England Patriots, the question is irresistible: Which quarterback will make a deeper playoff run in 2020?
Cam Newton agreed to a one-year deal with the Patriots on Sunday afternoon, a bolt of lightning in a quiet and uncertain NFL summer, with teams not knowing what to expect one month before the possible start of training camp on July 28.
For the #Patriots and Cam Newton, who have quietly worked on this recently, it’s a 1-year deal worth up to $7.5M, source said. https://t.co/YSHLAcRupb
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 29, 2020
Given the uncertainty swirling around the sports world — not just the NFL — due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Cam Newton relocation to Foxborough suddenly has sports fans talking about… sports, and not COVID-19. It's a brief distraction from the awful news unfolding around the country.
Though there are no guarantees about the 2020 NFL season, one has to wonder, now that we know where Cam Newton will play: Will he outshine Tom Brady if there is a season?
It's a fascinating question on its own terms, but what makes the question even more delicious is that the answer is genuinely hard to arrive at.
A lot of people will compare Newton and Brady and — on that basis alone — give Brady the advantage. Brady did deal with some injury problems this past season, but will still view him as the quarterback more likely to succeed because Cam Newton has taken such a pounding in recent years with the Carolina Panthers.
Cam Newton was a running quarterback who played like a running back or a linebacker (if not both) in the earlier years of his career. Like many NFL running backs, he was pulverized, and there are genuine questions about the longevity of his career.
Most people would probably say that Tom Brady will go deeper into the playoffs this year, compared to Cam Newton, because Brady has far better receivers with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers than anyone Cam Newton has with the Patriots: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Rob Gronkowski.
Yet, we're asking which quarterback will go deeper into the playoffs, NOT which quarterback will have the better numbers or a better set of 16 performances this year.
This is where the calculus is anything but clear.
The AFC has been a weaker conference than the NFC in recent years; it's precisely why the Patriots were able to make so many Super Bowls.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos — normally playoff teams — have fallen on hard times more recently. The AFC simply hasn't been as deep as it was several years ago. This works in Cam Newton's favor in 2020.
Yes, the Buffalo Bills are now a playoff-caliber team. The Patriots' road to an AFC East title isn't as easy as it was. However, the overall AFC playoff picture should still have the Patriots in the mix; they have a very good chance of making the divisional playoffs this season.
Can we say the same for Tom Brady and the Buccaneers?
Remember whom the Bucs have to play twice this year: the New Orleans Saints. The NFC West could have three playoff teams. The Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers all have the talent of Super Bowl contenders.
Brady will have the better numbers, and he will look better in Bruce Arians' offense.
Cam Newton, however, has the smoother road to a divisional playoff or conference championship game.
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