The first four days are in the books and how have Jones and Newton looked. I've read the tweets and articles from the guys who went to Patriots camp. I don't exclude writers because I don't like their opinion, so what I have to say maybe different from the majority. One might not agree but it's honest and unbiased towards either. Here's my assessment on them.
Quick note: Typically the better passer is the starter because a quarterback's arm is what what makes the position followed by their mind and everything else is secondary. One should be able to get an early indication of the starter before pads are even put on. This is why mobile quarterbacks normally lose the early eye test early in camp but bounce back.
Mac Jones (Challanger)
When you think about what you want in a passer, we saw that from Mac Jones over the past 4 days in camp. It's clear that even though he's a rookie, as a passer, Mac Jones is the better between him and Cam. If your a fan of the "Patriots system" or "Brady offense," this should excite you.
Pocket presence, gliding around the pocket when needed. Ability to make reads and adjustments, and processing the play quickly, that's just the tip of the iceberg for Jones. He made a couple of inaccurate throws but he's mostly throwing quick accurate passes, and not turning the ball over or taking unnecessary sacks. Jones threw with timing and anticipation and typically got rid of the ball in a hurry but still was making good decisions in the process.
Knock downs at the line has been an issue thus far. He's also yet to have a good camp from start to finish, it's one or the other. Pass protection hasn't been consistent and when it's broken down, Jones held the ball a little too long a couple of times. Jones trust his line too much, which is good but is also bad. This is all coachable.
Jones looks like he's doing pretty well at building chemistry with his pass catchers. He dealt with drops and had some miscommunication issues but that's to be expected for a rookie and will improve with repetition.
The Patriots even had Jones on the move to show off his mobility. He has showed good composure when things were going right and looked like he's capable of being a game manager at the moment if asked, which is to be expected since he was more pro ready than Trevor Lawrence who was drafted first overall.
The biggest concern for Jones is controlling his emotions when things start going south. He's a perfectionist and when things don't go their way, he beats himself up. Jones hasn't done anything to pull away. He has been the better passer but no matter how decisive or accurate he is as a passer, a quarterback that can't keep their cool is a liability.
Cam Newton (Incumbent)
Cam Newton threw with power and velocity, and when the team allowed for longer throws, he was able to throw with some accuracy. He also showed he wasn't afraid to go to the check downs against this elite defense. He was at his best when the Patriots got him moving around, which is something that often gets overlooked at this time of the year because he's a quarterback and not a running back.
Newton's making good decisions but his accuracy is still an issue. His accuracy is inconsistent which is something we've seen throughout his career. Newton is accurate enough, as he still throws the ball to the pass catcher's bubble but the placement is the issue and due to that, his balls are not always catchable.
Newton did have at least 1 turnover that was his fault due to his ball placement. He also still had trouble with accuracy in short yardage, especially at the goal line. Add that to the drop issue that the improved pass catching unit seems to be dealing with and it's not good.
Newton was occasionally slow processing plays and held the ball too long. This was not good because there were some consistency issues with the pass protection but Newton held his composure, and also got to show off his legs and even caught a pass.
While Newton has been looking like an average passer which is an improvement from last season, he's not making a lot of mistakes and is keeping his head. He's showing improvement throughout every day and he's getting first team reps, while Jones is working with a mix of ones and twos. Newton's leadership has also been on display, when Jones was struggling with his emotions, Newton took the time to attempt to talk him down.
Overall Assessment
As stated earlier in the article, the most important thing for a quarterback is their passing ability. Jones has that over Newton and anyone who says otherwise is bias. The second thing is their mind. While Jones looks like the more intelligent quarterback, he's also the one with less control over his emotions. While typically secondary to passing ability, One's mind can on occasion trump ability. "Cam Newton is our starting quarterback," said Bill Belichick Saturday morning. While Newton isn't doing anything to show he's the better passer, it's surprisingly his mind that is giving him the job.
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