A disappointing 2020 NFL season for the New England Patriots ended on a positive note.
The Patriots defeated the New York Jets 28-14 at a snowy Gillette Stadium in Sunday afternoon's Week 17 finale. New England's win streak over its AFC East rival now stands at 10 games.
The Pats finish the season with a 7-9 record. The last time they won fewer than eight games in a season was 2000, when New England went 5-11 in Tom Brady's rookie campaign.
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Cam Newton becomes first Patriots QB ever to accomplish this feat
Let's look at three overreactions from the Patriots' season-ending victory over the Jets and assess their merit.
1. Cam Newton will be a Week 1 starter for some team in 2021
Verdict: Slight overreaction
New England Patriots
Newton's tenure with the Patriots might be over soon, and despite a mostly lackluster season for him, he's still good enough to be a starter in the NFL. This was a very difficult year for him. He battled through injury, he had a bout with COVID-19 early in the season and the weapons around him in the Patriots offense were the worst in the league.
He's still an elite rushing quarterback. He set a new Patriots record with 592 rushing yards on the season, and his 12 rushing touchdowns are the third-most among all players.
Newton definitely has to be more efficient as a passer in 2021, but he did show some signs Sunday that he can still get it done through the air. He completed 21 of 30 pass attempts for 242 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also ran for 79 yards and caught a 19-yard touchdown pass in a very impressive performance.
With a full offseason that includes OTAs, mini camps and a normal training camp, Newton could still win a starting job for an NFL team next season. It might not be with the Patriots, though.
2. Jakobi Meyers' development was most encouraging story of Pats' offense in 2020
Verdict: Slight overreaction
The Patriots are severely lacking in talent and depth at wide receiver, but the impressive development of second-year wideout Jakobi Meyers is among the few positives the team can take into the offseason. Meyers, who caught six passes for 68 yards against the Jets, finished 2020 with 59 receptions for 729 yards in 14 games. These numbers represent a more than 2X improvement from his 2019 reception and receiving yards totals.
Cam Newton breaks Patriots record that stood for more than 40 years
In a year where 2019 first-round pick N'Keal Harry had a very disappointing second pro season, it was quite encouraging for the Patriots that Meyers took a giant step in his progression. He's not a true No. 1 wide receiver, but he's definitely one of the few young skill position players on the roster with real long-term potential.
3. Jake Bailey was the Pats' best player this season
Verdict: Not an overreaction
Bailey likely will earn the first All-Pro selection of his young career after a fantastic 2020 campaign. The AFC's starting punter for the Pro Bowl led the league with a net average of 46.4 yards per punt, which also is a Patriots record. Bailey was again in fine form Sunday, punting six times with three downed inside the 20-yard line with a long of 65 yards. He averaged 45.3 yards on his five punts.
Ideally, you wouldn't want your best player in a season to be the punter, but Bailey deserves a ton of credit for being the best player in the league at his position.