Cam Newton's New England Patriots are back above .500 after Sunday's win over Las Vegas, but the quarterback isn't all that happy with his own performance.
Newton completed 17 of 28 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown, but also threw an interception. He also ran for just 27 yards on nine attempts.
When asked during an appearance on WEEI what grade he'd give himself for Sunday's outing, he was realistic: 75 percent, or a C.
"Yesterday was kind of frustrating in itself. ... There will be games like that, and when there is games like that, you've just got to find ways to win," Newton said.
"Me, personally? With lackluster ball security, just a slow start offensively, this is subpar performance. I know I can play better, I know I can do better and I know I will be better."
After a 397-yard outing in a Week 2 thriller against Seattle, Newton wasn't the same flashy passer for the Patriots on Sunday, but he didn't really need to be. Other than his interception -- which he explained was a case of him losing a defender while scrambling and looking to make a play -- the offense didn't need to rely heavily on Newton's abilities.
Sony Michel had his first strong outing of 2020, rushing nine times for 117 yards, while Rex Burkhead visited the end zone twice on just six carries. New England finished with 406 yards and a 36-20 win over the previously undefeated Raiders.
"Playing in this league, you're not going to just steamroll every team," Newton explained. "At one point I did look up at the total stat line of the total offense -- we did surpass 400 yards, so let's not be naive about the fact that when we did get it rolling, we got it rolling."
That type of performance won't get it done next week when the Patriots travel to Kansas City to face the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Newton, coach Bill Belichick and the rest of the Patriots are certainly aware of this reality. They get a week to prepare to be better, with the boost of knowing they were able to get a win on a less-than-stellar day.
