'How Can I lose?': A Happy, Motivated Cam Newton Is Ready for Patriots' Season Opener

The last year hasn't been ideal for quarterback Cam Newton. He played in just two games last season due to injury, was released by the team he was drafted by nearly a decade ago, and then signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the New England Patriots this past June when it looked like he might not be signed by any team.

It was a roller coaster ride for sure. That's why Newton has been excited to go through a full week of preparation prior to New England's season opener against the Miami Dolphins this Sunday. And he's not taking anything for granted.

"Excitement level is on 1,000," Newton said Thursday during a video conference with the media. "I'm excited, happy. Just to get back into the rhythm of game week - the preparation, the little nuggets that you can often forget.

"You have to remember, I've been away from football, really, for a full year. I haven't really had this whole process for a long time now, so being around, taking notes, watching film, finding out about different players each and every day, locking in. [I'm] excited about the game plan and more excited about just trying to get in a routine with the newness of the play calling, the coaches and even the players."

When Newton takes the field on Sunday, he will not only be the second black quarterback to ever be under center for New England - the first to be the Week 1 starter - but he will also be the first quarterback of the post-Tom Brady era in Foxboro. That's a big weight to carry. But as Newton sees it, being a Patriot already motivates him to play well, regardless of who took snaps before him.

"There's no denying it. There's no getting around it," Newton said. "The standard is already set. We see it every single day from the great coaches and great players who are playing here now. So we don't need no added incentive to want to go out there and do our job. It's a prerequisite. It's something you've just got to do."

For Newton, this week has been an opportunity for him to reflect on the challenges he faced this offseason, which leave him happy, motivated and overall emotional for the opportunity he has in front of him.

"Right now, I'm in a happy place, I feel motivated, I feel a lot of great emotions that are going on and not hindering me from becoming my best self," Newton said. "Yet through it all, I like it most that I'm just a piece to a puzzle. I don't want to be the puzzle. I try my best daily to prove my worth to this team and understand there are a lot of guys here who are depending on each other, and I want to be a person the team and these coaches can trust and depend on.

"Two or three months ago, I was questioning a lot of things. Right now, as I'm looking up at Gillette and the iconic logo for the Patriots like, 'How can I lose?'"

When New England's season opener kicks off at 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium this Sunday, all eyes will be on the 2015 MVP. Cam Newton has said and done all the right things to earn praise from his teammates and coaches this summer and to earn himself the tag of starting quarterback and team captain. Now it's time to pair that with some great performances on the football field.

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