Patriots bench Cam Newton in fourth quarter against Rams

The New England Patriots offense has played some bad football this season, but recently seemed to have turned the corner. Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, however, was a gigantic step back for the unit: it fell in a 24-3 hole while turning the football over once on a pick-six and once on downs. The unit did reach the red zone three times with Cam Newton at the helm, but generated a mere three points.

In the fourth quarter, and after back-to-back three-and-outs, the Patriots therefore decided to make a change: Newton was benched in favor of second-year man Jarrett Stidham.

The Patriots’ starting quarterback, meanwhile, had another forgettable day at the office. He completed just six of nine pass attempts for 119 yards and the aforementioned interception, and also added only 16 yards on three carries. His supporting cast did do him no favors — Newton was sacked four times while the receiving corps offered inconsistent space once more — but the veteran passer also did little to lift the unit up.

And so, for the second time after the Patriots’ blowout loss against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7, Newton was pulled after not getting the job done.