On Thursday, Newton went 9 of 15 bringing him to 17 of 30 for camp thus far over the first two days. Newton reportedly focused on checkdowns on day two, which may be a smart move against this secondary unit, especially after it was reported that on day one he held the ball too long, which he didn't improve on. Newton's accuracy was once again inconsistent sailing balls and throwing towards the shins.
The Patriots attempted to make Newton comfortable on day two by getting him moving around and it showed at the end. Newton's best throw of the day was finding running back Brandon Boldon on an out route, who was covered by Josh Uche. The pass was an anticipation throw, something Cam Newton is not known for. The Patriots even had Newton catching a pass on a gimmick play, wonder if Meyers was the passer again.
Newton got away from the check downs at the end to show he still has the ability to make good decisions with the ball at the end of camp. After last season, this was something Newton needed to find a way to show to the staff because it wasn't evident by season end.
Kharl Thompson of Boston.com wrote, "the former MVP gave a glimpse of the improvements he could make on last year’s performance, though more consistency is still needed."
Consistency and Cam Newton are two things that don't go together, sorry Kharl. In fact one could say over his career that Cam Newton is consistently inconsistent. That's one of the things however that his supporters love about him because it brings a level of excitement, never knowing who's showing up on game day.
The Patriots had Newton throwing to his bread and butter area, the middle of the field. This is where some people like colts law Lawrence Owen's have pointed out that Newton is most accurate. This was a good way to build confidence is the veteran as he competes for his job. Especially since there appears to be cause for early concern with the rookie's ability to keep cool headed.
Newton's leadership was also on display as Mac Jones's emotions got the better of him and Newton had to talk him down. Newton knows about how losing control one's emotions can effect them, so it was good to see him stepping up as a leader, even if it was for the guy trying to take his job.
Mike D'abate of SI wrote, "Overall, he looked more comfortable under pressure." That was the general consensus as many said Cam won the day between the two, although Andy Callahan gives the day to Brian Hoyer, you'll have to go and see why for yourself.
SB Nation writing, "He (Newton) may not have put any notable distance between himself and Mac Jones in the race for the starting quarterback position, but he had a good day nonetheless."
Like many have said, If Newton does well it's a win for the Patriots because it's more time for Jones to sit and develop. Jones who obviously needs to learn to control his emotions, needs it. Newton doesn't need to improve or play better to hold the starting job, he just cannot decline and we're not seeing much if any from Newton. So today was a win for the Patriots.
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