#Jets aren’t taking Cam Newton lightly: ‘MVP for a reason’

The Jets have faced their fair share of dynamic quarterbacks in the first half of this season and they don’t expect the Patriots’ Cam Newton to be any different.

“Cam Newton is a former MVP for a reason,” Jets cornerback Bless Austin said on a Zoom call Thursday. “As far as I’m concerned, we had [Chiefs QB] Pat Mahomes who was MVP, [Bills QB] Josh Allen was in the race earlier, so as far as talent is concerned, all of those are pretty much in the same tone and you have to respect each one of those guys.”

Within the past four weeks, the Jets surrendered 300-plus passing yards to both Allen and the Cardinals’ Kyle Murray. The Dolphins’ Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tua Tagovailoa were held to a total of 200 passing yards against the Jets in Week 6, while Mahomes put on a clinic last Sunday with 416 yards and five touchdowns in the Chiefs’ 35-9 blowout win.

Newton has only had one game this season with more than 300 passing yards — Week 2 against the Seahawks — but the Jets are most focused on containing the 31-year-old’s running.

“It’s really been problematic for other teams when he’s run the ball,” Jets coach Adam Gase said. “They’re doing the zone-read stuff. When he’s pulling it down and scrambling and creating first downs that way, that’s been problematic. He’s hit some good throws in some tight windows. I think it’s just we have to make sure that he doesn’t get in a great rhythm. That’s the last thing you want to have happen with him.

“I’ve played him a few times in the past when he was at Carolina. I’ve seen him get really hot, and that’s the last thing you need. If he gets in a great rhythm, that’s when it gets really scary.”

Leading the Patriots with 298 yards on 59 carries (5.1 average) and six touchdowns, Newton has had a majority of his success this season using his legs. He has had a rushing score in four of the six games in which he has played this season, but he hasn’t recorded a passing touchdown in the past three games.

The last time Newton faced the Jets was in 2017, when he was with the Panthers. In the Jets’ 35-27 loss, Newton ran for 28 yards with one touchdown. Safety Marcus Maye and linebacker Jordan Jenkins are the only two Jets that still remain from that 2017 team.

After testing positive for coronavirus and missing the Patriots’ Week 4 matchup against the Chiefs, Newton was activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Oct. 14 and has started the past three games.

“He is a rare dude,” defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said Saturday. “One of the things we talked about with our players is that you’re looking at a defensive end playing quarterback when you take a look at the body size and the body type. But he can play the quarterback positions in a lot of different ways and we’ve got to be sound in all of our ways.”