Hoyer reportedly spent most of the day alone as Jarrett Stidham was not at camp due to an unexplained shoulder injury. Hoyer went 9 of 17, While Jones and Newton worked with the number ones. The Patriots brought in Jake Dolegala to add an arm to work with Hoyer. Not sure how soon well see Dolegala at camp.
Everyone will tell you that it's the first day of camp and nothing matters. Continuing with what Newton supporters said for OTAs and minicamp. While it is just training camp, remember if they weren't practicing it could lead to looking like Cam did in 2020, so it has to matter. Before you call B.S., lack of training camp is part of the excuse for Newton last season. So give today the importance the Newton bandwagon placed on it all throughout last season.
Matt Dollof of 98.5 the hub wrote about day one saying, "His (Jones) best play of the day highlighted the aforementioned three qualities of pocket presence, field reading, and actual throwing. Jones first looked right for Kendrick Bourne, but the receiver was well covered. Jones then slid left, keeping his eyes toward the end zone, and dropped one in the bucket to wideout Nelson Agholor for a 'touchdown.' "
Newton and Jones reportedly put up similar stats going 9 of 19 but stats don't tell everything. Jones was reportedly getting the ball out quicker and making better timing and anticipation throws, while the guy he was competing with was holding on to the ball too long, hesitant, and putting the ball in the wrong locations but Jones's opponent isn't known for his passing ability.
Mike Reiss of ESPN tweeted, "one of my biggest takeaways on Day 1 is how quickly the ball comes out of Mac Jones’ hand when he finishes his drop. Decisive."
Karl Thompson wrote, "His (Jones) ability to go through progressions without losing composure stood out..."
And Andy Callahan wrote, "Mac Jones’ quick release and mobility within the pocket continue to stand out. He seemed to have an advanced feel for pressure."
You can get a consensus there. Mac Jones reportedly looked like a game manager, not quite a field general. He put the ball where it needed to be, didn't do anything stupid, and at least looked like an NFL passer. That's what the Patriots needed because that's what they lacked in 2020 for majority of the season and it killed the production of the supporting cast.
Jones impressed many. Jeff Howe of the athletic tweeted of Jones, "he might have had the five best throws of the day."
While Jones was showing chemistry with Gunner Olszewski, N'Keal Harry, and Nelson Agholor, he also made some mistakes. The first round quarterback worked off some of that belly fat running a lap for fumbling a snap in shotgun formation.
Thompson also wrote, "defensive backs harrassed his throws at the point of the catch multiple times to force incompletions."
The Patriots haven't donned the pads yet but Jones is still showing he can run the Patriots offense. This is great for the team but as far as us fans go, Newton has not yet shown that he has gotten worse than last year and thus is still the frontrunner but that might not he for long as Greg Bedard gave his opinion.
Bedard wrote, "There's a long way to go but if this is any indication of what he has in store for the rest of camp — rookies will always have a bad day here and there — then Cam Newton has his hands full. Jones, for the most part, continues to gain ground and improve with every practice."
Evan Lazar echoed Bedard's sentiment saying, "The Pats’ first-round pick has some rookie moments, but he flashes that first-round talent. Jones continues to take positive steps forward with each practice and remains on Newton’s heels."
It's only one day but if you're hoping for Mac Jones to start, he's trending in the right direction. One more quick note, if the number five receiver was named off today's practice, it would go to N'keal Harry. Again it's only one practice but it's what we want to hear for our former number one. And be sure to check out my article on Cam.
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