Cam Newton: Patriots Don't Need to 'Press the Panic Button' After Broncos Loss

The New England Patriots fell to 2-3 after Sunday's 18-12 loss to the Denver Broncos, but quarterback Cam Newton still feels confident in the team.

"There's no need to press the panic button," Newton told WEEI on Monday (h/t Mike Reiss of ESPN). "There's no need to start reinventing the wheel. We have the answers in that locker room."

The rough start is rare for New England, marking the first time the team is under .500 this late in the season since 2002, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.

New England has had its season interrupted by multiple positive COVID-19 tests, allowing the team just two practices over the past two weeks.

Newton missed the team's previous game against the Kansas City Chiefs and was away from the squad until being removed from the reserve COVID-19 list Wednesday.

He was clearly rusty in Sunday's loss, throwing two interceptions while producing just a 51.6 quarterback rating. Although he added 76 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground, it was still a disappointing offensive effort with just 12 points scored, including just three in the first three quarters.

Despite the loss, New England could be better than the current record indicates.

One loss came against the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs without the team's starting quarterback, while another came on the road against the 5-0 Seattle Seahawks. Both of the squad's wins have come against opponents at least .500: the Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders.

There are more difficult games ahead, including upcoming battles against the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills, but there is no reason to give up on the season this early.

If Newton can shake off the rust and get back on track with his receivers, the Patriots can remain contenders in the AFC East.