Surprising fact about Cam Newton's passing stats for Patriots

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If Sunday's game against the Jets was Cam Newton's Foxboro swan song, he certainly went out with a bang.

Newton threw for three touchdowns, the first time this season he threw for multiple scores in the same game. He became the first Patriots QB in history to catch a touchdown pass. He also set team records for rushing yards in a season by a New England quarterback.

But on the whole, his 2020 campaign was a disappointment, especially in the area where quarterbacks are expected to shine: passing the football.

Perry: Newton, Pats offense earn high marks in Week 17 Report Card

Newton only totaled 2,657 yards through the air this season -- the fewest in team history for a QB who started at least 15 games. More surprisingly, his yardage total wasn't as high as what another teammate was able to accomplish.

That's right. Second-yearĀ punter Jake Bailey totaled 21 more yards on his 55 punts this season than Newton did on his 368 passes. Though Bailey's tremendous season earned him Pro Bowl honors, it's not a sign of a great offense when your punter outgains your quarterback.

On the flip side, check out what happened in Green Bay this season, where the Packers put up a league-high 31.8 points per game.

Aaron Rodgers keyed the Pack's high-scoring attack with a career-high 48 touchdown passes while punter JK Scott only needed to punt 46 times over the course of the 16-game season.

The Packers became just the fourth team in NFL history to finish a season with more touchdown passes than punts, joining the 2018 Chiefs, the 1990 OilersĀ and the 2007 Patriots, who had Tom Brady throw a then-NFL-record 50 TD passes while Chris Hanson only punted 44 times.

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