Cam Newton's New England debut was a runaway success last Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. Not even the biggest cynic or Patriots hater could argue that point.
Taking the reins of Bill Belichick's championship chariot from Tom Brady, Newton won his first game under center in Foxborough by running a QB franchise-record 15 times for 75 yards and two scores in the 21-11 win over their inferior visitor, the Dolphins.
Newton galloped for 10 yards in his first carry as a Patriots and never looked back.
After punting on their opening possession, New England took the 7-0 lead early in the second-quarter on Newton's 4-yard cakewalk touchdown.
The Patriots played the game on their terms; the way they wanted to. Run the ball, play defense and live to fight another day. It all went according to plan.
New England ran the ball 42 times for 217 yards, while Newton threw just 19 passes, completing an efficiently-impressive 15 of them.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' game plan was perfect and nearly perfectly executed, the Dolphins playing the willing victim as the inferior visitor.
But as Week 2's trip to Seattle to take on the Seahawks (1-0) approaches it's hard not to acknowledge one of the Belichickian tenets that've been beaten into our brains over the years: it doesn't matter what happened last week.
This week is a new challenge. A much different, much more difficult challenge.
Seattle won on opening day in Atlanta 38-25, Russell Wilson leading the way by completing 31 of 35 passes for 322 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He needed such production as the pass-happy, weapons-rich Falcons soared through the air with Matt Ryan completing 37 of 54 passes for 450 yards, with a trio of receivers (Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage) topping 100 yards.
For comparison, Julian Edelman's team-high 57 yards receiving in the Patriots opener would have to be doubled to even tie for the third-most productive target for the Falcons.
Sure, it was fun to watch Newton run to victory.
And it's worth wondering if the double-digit carries by the 31-year-old quarterback with a recent history of injuries is sustainable? (Spoiler – it's not.)
But both are irrelevant to the here and now. Modern NFL football is about passing and scoring. It's about games declaring and teams being able to meet the declaration.
When the Patriots don't play with a lead, when they don't control the game, when they don't get a trio of interceptions, New England is going to have to be able to throw the ball frequently and productively to win.
That's not an opinion. It's a fact.
It's also something that Newton is well aware of.
"We're just trying to keep building. Take as much as possible that the defense is going to give us," Newton said this week when asked about a Seattle defense that certainly looked susceptible to the pass in Week 1. "We're going to try to keep evolving as an offense."
This week or not, that evolution is going to have to involve throwing the ball more than 19 times, fewest in the NFL in on opening weekend.
"I would assume there would be more, call it tools in the toolbox, that he'll be able to get to, get to quick, and be able go out there and execute and really try to continue to improve," Patriots quarterback's coach Jedd Fisch said of Newton's continued growth in the offense. "The one thing that Josh has continued to emphasize and one thing that Coach Belichick has continued to emphasize, that was Week 1 and our growth from Week 1 to Week 2 will indicate how much better we've got in these seven days and we need to continue to make sure we get better and continue to add to his toolbox, add to his repertoire and really make sure that we can do a great job of helping him and our whole offense."
While Newton is and always be the focal point as the quarterback, the sure-to-come need for a more productive passing game isn't only on his strong shoulders. New England's cast of pass-catchers has a lot to prove.
Julian Edelman has to stay healthy and continue to build his rapport with No. 1.
Despite his attaboy from Newton, N'Keal Harry needs produce more than 39 yards through the air and eliminate costly turnovers before it will be factually accurate to say the former first-round pick had a "good game."
The tight end position will have to bring more than one reception to the stat sheet.
And the diverse backfield committee will continue to be a key part of the attack, even if it's not part of a 42-rush, 217-yard ground attack.
As enjoyable as it was to watch Newton run over, through and around Brian Flores' Dolphins last Sunday, sooner or later Superman is going to have to return to the air and prove he can win a pass-first shootout.
That sooner could come this Sunday night in Seattle against a Seahawks team that many believe could compete for a Super Bowl and is superior to the Patriots.
The challenge is set.
Now the only question is whether a healthy, confident Cam Newton is equipped and ready to (literally) pass his next test as the Patriots quarterback?
Stay tuned.
