Wedged between eras and taking place in the midst of a global pandemic, the New England Patriots’ 2020 season is most notable for being the first after long-time quarterback Tom Brady’s departure.
While Brady was busy adding to his legacy and leading Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl win, the Patriots had to reinvent themselves on the offensive side of the ball. They did so by bringing in former league MVP Cam Newton, and designing an offense centered around the run game — including the quarterback.
The bottom line was, admittedly, not impressive. The Patriots missed the playoffs with a 7-9 record and ended the year ranked in the bottom third in scoring and scoring efficiency; they ended up drafting Mac Jones 15th overall the following offseason and eventually moved on from Newton in August 2021.