Mac Jones Continues To Shine As He Won Day Five But Cam Newton Is Still Winning The Competition Dispite Himself.

Day five of Patriots minicamp. While there's a lot to focus on, let's be real for a second; the only thing anyone actually cares about is the quarterback competition and so that's what we're going to focus on today. Mac versus Cam, Cam versus Mac but before I start, Dolegala didn't throw a pass, why's he on the roster?

Mac Jones

Mac Jones had four good days but has shown one reason why he shouldn't start. At this point unless he does something drastic or Newton messes up, Jones will be the backup in 2021. Now that we got the broken record part out of the way, let's look at how Mac Jones did on day five.

Jones was accurate against the elite Patriots defense going 21 of 28. Jones made very few bad throws throughout the day. Jones continues to show poise in the pocket with pressure. Jones appears to be owning the Patriots quick game offense.

Jones again showed he can hit the deep ball with a 50 yard pass to Zuber. If anyone though Jones could throw downfield, that should be laid to rest by now.

The Patriots took reps away from veteran quarterback and expected quarterback coach Brain Hoyer, and gave them to Mac Jones to quicken his development time in the system. Jones is still working on communication with the pass catchers, as there were a couple of plays where they weren't on the same page.

Jones is almost ready to start but concern over his ability to stay cool and not get frustrated over the previous days are why he's going to set behind Newton, regardless of how many days he has like today.

Cam Newton

Patriots starting quarterback Cam Newton took the field on day five. Newton lead off on drills again, and went 14 of 21 with an interception against the elite Patriots defense but how did he actually look on the day. Let's see.

There were some throws again that Newton would like a redo with but Newton continued to throw with power and zip. Newton's decision making continues to be good. He continues to show improvement over last season with understanding of the offense but as a passer, He's clearly not the best guy on the field. Especially throwing it short.

His quick game and anticipation throws are looking better but he's still taking to long to decide where to go with the football. There doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency while he's wearing the red shirt. We all know about his bubble problem, which will always bring down Newton's accuracy.

Unfortunately even though he had a decent day,  the talk for Newton is a failed game winning fourth and goal conversion. Not sure who the blame goes to but there was clearly some mistakes communication on the play between Newton and Agholor. This would be harped on as much as to the finish of the Seattle game, if it was in a game.

Miscommunication was an issue for Newton as well, and both quarterbacks had to deal with a drop problem pleaging the pass catchers thus far. The Patriots had one of the best group of pass catchers when it came to drops in 2020, but their drops are hurting the offense in camp.

While Newton continues to be an okay passer, it's his mobility that continues to stand out with his quarterback play. Reminding people he beats defenses with his legs not his arm. The good thing for Cam is he continues to play well enough to hold his position.

Thoughts

While things could change, Jones looked good today but what the Patriots saw from Mac Jones on day two and again on day four are all the Patriots needed to see from Mac Jones to know he needs to sit and mature before being handed the keys to the offense. Pads are coming as the team inches closer to their first preseason game. Can't wait to see how both quarterbacks look in actual game situations. Can you believe 2021 has gone so quick that preseason games are upon us?