Cam Newton was once again named the starter and if anyone is wondering how that would effect Mac Jones, He got ar least six fewer reps than Cam Newton. The youngster had a bad mental day on Thursday and that might be playing into the decision as neither quarterback is doing anything to separate themselves going into day four.
Another thing to keep in mind is Jones is working with both the ones and twos, whereas Newton's pretty much worked exclusively with the number ones. That's gonna have some impact on each quarterback's performance.
This write asks, how much better would Jones be if he was the one working primarily with the first group?
The rookie struggled in the red zone today against this defense but so did the guy that was once again named the starter. The good news is the Jones is building chemistry with the pass catchers including former first round draft pick N'keal Harry, who is having a good camp so far.
Jones showed off his rushing ability on Saturday but he might need that ability, as it was reported by some that the pocket passer was holding the ball too long. The good news is, Jones wasn't a statue and moved around the pocket like a chess piece. The bad news is he had a moment or two where he was looking "lost." Which is to be expected by a rookie.
One positive of the day, Jones finally had a strong finish, the bad part of that was he had a slow start. This is something Jones needs to being together as a whole. Jones also appears to be struggling to stay on the same page as his pass catchers. Hopefully this will come with time, otherwise it could be a long development process.
Jones's demon once again raised his head, as he lost his cool again. Ryan Spagnoli wrote, "Jones was visibly frustrated after one particularly rough series, and Bill Belichick came over to coach him up for a solid minute and a half. Then, Brian Hoyer came over to Jones, who was on a knee, and was using his hands to mimic what the rookie could have done better."
Until the rookie can learn to keep his composure. There is no reason he should start. This was not a red flag I saw in any of the scouting reports but again, this could become a serious issue for the Patriots and the last thing the Patriots need is to have drafted Ryan Leaf. Drafting first round quarterbacks can be like Russian roulette, let's hope the Patriots didn't shoot themselves by missing something in the scouting report.
Evan Lazar wrote about Jones after camp, "There’s plenty of things to like about how Jones is practicing. His timing, touch, and pocket movement stand out daily."
Jones has consistently been the better passer in camp but he's also shown that his emotions get the best of him. Losing control of emotions can lead to a loss of focus. This is how Jones is going to lose the competition to Cam Newton. He will most likely continue to be the better passer between the two. Jones may even show better command of the offense but his lack of ability to control his frustrations makes him a liability to the Patriots and to himself, regardless of how well he plays.
One more quick note, so far the Patriots seem to be getting all the running backs involved as pass catchers. This could help the offense but James White is only on a one year deal and Sony Michel is supposed to be looking much improved in that area. I know everyone is looking at JJ Taylor and possibly Stevenson in that area to replace White but if the quarterbacks continue to find Michel, he could earn a new contract in Foxboro and push White out the door by season end.
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