Three Traits A Quarterback Needs To Be Great And McDaniels Says Jones Has Them.

Accuracy, anticipation, and awareness are three things that Patriots fans got used to from the quarterback position over the last 20 years and something that was clearly missing throughout the 2020 season. And the added athleticism to the position last season did not make up for it, as it was little to no help in the passing game.

Those three things are why Josh McDainels thinks Mac Jones is having success this season. There things the all time greats excelled in. It's clear that Mac Jones is at a high level when it comes to those traits, those mental gifts. And we see how he uses those talents every week.

McDaniels said, "I think the first thing is the ball placement. Your accuracy and ball placement is something you can work hard to try to improve as a coach. But many times, naturally, a player will have that. That will be their strength or weakness. I would say that Mac came here with that as a very strong point in his game."

McDaniels continued, "There’s an anticipation, a hand-eye anticipation, based on how fast the receiver, tight end, back, how fast he’s moving across the formation, how fast he’s moving vertically. Then when you have to let the ball go and when you let it go, what trajectory do you have to let it go at? There’s a lot that goes into that in a short amount of time and Mac has naturally had the ability to lead his receivers, put the ball in a place where they can catch and run in front of them and try to keep it away from the defenders at the same time.”

McDaniels added, “I also think he has the awareness. We talk about understanding who you’re throwing it to and how far away they are. Because if you’re talking about a back on a checkdown who’s seven yards in front of you, you don’t need a howitzer to blow his helmet off.

So, understanding that is a different throw than say the in-cut he rips in there to Kendrick Bourne the other day, where the window’s smaller and we need to get it in there quick because the windows closing. Any quarterback that is an accurate passer, has good ball placement, has an understanding of changing up the pace of his throws and understanding who he’s throwing to and what kind of throw is required in order to make it a successful throw, Mac does a nice job at basically all those things. I think we’ve seen a lot of different types of throws from him during the course of the year.”

Now Mac Jones isn't just getting praise from his offensive coordinator. Over the past few weeks, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, and Kurt Warner have all praised the Patriots rookie quarterback. 

Manning said talking about Jones's play this season after a pass to Henry versus the Browns, "Everybody’s fired up. Even Bill Belichick’s fired up. Look at the excitement and the enthusiasm he’s showing on this play. It is awesome..." "That's really good stuff there by Mac Jones."

Kurt Warner has said, "There’s some things that I really, really like that I’m seeing from Mac Jones that lets me know this guy is going to be a good quality starter in this league for a long time. The one question will be: Will he be a championship-type quarterback? And if he is, what will that look like? Where does he make the game-changing plays for his team.”

Montana has called the 49ers not taking Mac a mistake and Marino has said what Jones's doing at the moment can't be done better.

The fact is people are seeing how good Jones is. People are seeing areas for improvement but acknowledge that Mac Jones is playing at a high level. Some have even said Jones has already broken his ceiling. Jones is currently a candidate for rookie of the year.

June Jones and Charlie Weiss, two respected names in football both said that Jones was the best quarterback in this draft class. People thought they were both silly with Trevor Lawrence being labelled "generational" but so far once again, Mental traits are showing they can beat physical traits at the moment. And Mac Jones is only going to get better with development.

Mac Jones may never run a 4.40 but will the other quarterbacks ever develop his anticipation, his accuracy, and his recognition abilities? They might improve but they'll never be on Jones's level in those areas. These physical quarterbacks will never be on Jones's mental level.

So instead of getting but hurt when people compare Mac Jones to Joe Montana or Tom Brady, appreciate that people are resetting his ceiling that high. I mean, there were scouting reports that said he wouldn't be any better than Kirk Cousins. Non Patriot fans might want that to be true but I cannot imagine the fanbase wants Kirk Cousins as their franchise quarterback.

So if McDaniels see three major areas a quarterback needs to be good at in Mac Jones and is willing to publicly admit it, the world should take notice that the Patriots are on the verge of being back to where they left off in 2019. And that is among the league's best teams.

All I can say is with how well a mobile quarterback did at operating the Patriots offense in 2020, thank god general manager Bill Belichick drafted Mac Jones instead of one because like many, I couldn't stand a repeat of the 2020 offense. Now all we need is the Patriots to draft third down back Calvin Turner Jr from the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in the 2022 draft.

Let the good times roll, we're on to Tennessee.

Mac Might Be 2008 Cassel But 2008 Cassel Wasn't Far From 2001 Brady Statistically.

It's pretty safe to say most people are comparing Mac Jones to Tom Brady's 2001 season and that people underestimated his ceiling. The rookie is doing pretty well at matching what we saw from the sophomore season of Tom Brady but Aryanna Prasad thinks that people are comparing Mac Jones's rookie season to wrong quarterback and believes we should be comparing him to Matt Cassel's 2008 season.

Prasad said people need to look at stats and situations the two quarterbacks walked into. She acknowledged that Cassel's offense was more high powered but says they were both Belichick teams built for a good quarterback to operate.

Prasad wrote, "If the 16-game projection isn’t convincing enough, looking at the first 11 games of the season reveals that Cassel and Jones stood shoulder to shoulder stat-wise through these weeks.

• Matt Cassel, through 11 games in 2008: 238-359, 2,615 yards, 13 TDs, 8 INTs
• Mac Jones through 11 games in 2021: 245-349, 2,540 yards, 14 TDs, 8 INTs"

Cassel led the Patriots to an 11-5 record. That wasn't bad but it wasn't Brady like, or was it? Nobody ever compared 2008 Cassel to 2001 Brady. Cassel just missed the playoffs. Mac Jones is currently sitting 7-4 far better than anyone expected the Patriots to be at this moment. 

Prasad wrote, "With two games against the Bills and a Titans matchup, it’s unlikely the Patriots escape 2021 with just one more loss. A 17th game and a weakened AFC still allows the Pats to pave a path to the playoffs."

So Jones and the Patriots would have to continue to beat expectations to finish 5 and 1 to close the season. The Patriots have been playing better each week but there have also been signs that the team still has room for improvement. So finishing with just five losses is improbable but not impossible.

Now I am sure that there are people who are upset at the idea that anyone would compare Mac Jones to Matt Cassel but is it really that big of an insult? Look at what Cassel accomplished.

The first thing one needs to consider is Matt Cassel was a seventh round draft pick from 2005. Seventh rounders are not supposed to be more than career backups at best when it comes to most positions. It's part of what makes Brady's story so awe inspiring.

Matt Cassel was named a pro bowl selection in 2010. He would also start a playoff game, although he would lose. No small feat for a seventh round quarterback. While playing in 107 games, he would start 81 of times.

Over his career Cassel was put in a position to have 9 fourth quarter comebacks and 12 game winning drives.

Besides Kansas City and New England, Cassel played for some bad teams. Yet he still managed to put up a 7-12 record for the other five garbage teams that were playing for draft spots instead of wins.

From 2008 to 2017, Cassel would start a minimum of 2 games a season. As a starter Cassel would have a 36-45 career record. With two 10 win seasons. Cassel would throw 102 touchdowns to only 82 interceptions.

Cassel completed 58.8 of his 2683 attempts for 17,508 yards. Over his 14 year career, he was sacked 210 times. He would also rush for 5 touchdowns. 

Cassel was either an over achiever or he was drafted three rounds too late. Mac Jones is a first round quarterback and his stats should be better than Cassel's. Let's take a look at the pro football reference to see some per game stats.

Cassel attempted 25.1 attempts per game to Mac Jones's 31.7. 

Cassel completed 14.7 passes a game, Jones is completing 22.3. 

Cassel averaged 163.6 yards per game, Jones is averaging 230.9

Cassel averaged 1 touchdown and .8 interceptions a game. Jones is averaging 1.3 touchdowns and .7 interceptions. 

Cassel averaged 2 sacks a game and 10.8 yards per pass. Jones is also averaging 2 sacks a game and 16.6 yards per pass. Cassel averaged 9.6 rushing yards a game on 2.5 carries, Jones is averaging 5.5 yards on 2.3 carries. 

While Jones is more accurate, he's also throwing the ball more. Which gives more chances to inflate his stats to look better than Cassel's. Cassel played well enough for the Chiefs to want him to start, and people are second guessing whether teams made the right decision on not drafting Mac.

So I would say based off Cassel's career, it's a fair comparison to say that Mac is at least as good as Matt Cassel but Mac is still on pace to be as good as Brady's 2001 season, in some areas he already is.

In 2001 Brady averaged:

189.5 yards passing per game

17.6 completions per game for a 63.9% completion percentage 

1.8 touchdowns a game, .8 interceptions a game

2.7 sacks a game with 10.8 yards per completion

Brady also averaged 2.9 yards rushing on 2.4 carries a game.

Brady also had 3 fourth quarter comebacks (mac has 1).

I would say Brady's floor when he came into the league was Matt Cassel and Mac Jones appears to have the same floor. Mac Jones has a chance to statistically put up better numbers than what Brady had his sophomore season. And although improbable, it's not impossible for Mac to lead the Patriots to the superbowl this season.

While Mac Jones probably will never come close to winning half as many superbowls as Brady, he's looking like his career stats could come close to Brady's as long as he continues to improve. So while it's true his stats do resemble Cassel's, the eye test resembles 2001 Brady. And fans should be excited for the potential that Mac Jones has.

There maybe only one Brady and that's okay because all we need is Mac to continue to play his game and improve. We don't need a second Tom Brady but we wouldn't mind if he came close. And I don't think anyone in Patriots nation would disagree with that.

Will Bill Listen To Old Number 54?

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is getting up there in age. The 69 year old is on the heels of Don Shula for the most regular seasons wins. Currently Belichick is 41 games behind Shula and with Shula's comments about Bill over the past few years, there's certainly no love loss between the two. Belichick should break Don Shula's record in 2027 if he chooses to coach that long.

One of the Patriots legends believes his former coach should continue to coach for a long time to come. And they tweeted it out to send a message to their former mentor.

Danny Jaillet wrote an article titled, "Tedy Bruschi wants Bill Belichick to stick around for the entire Mac Jones era." Now I don't know if he said for that long but I wouldn't mind seeing it.

Tedy Bruschi tweeted on November 18, 2021, "Bill always said he wasn’t going to coach as long as Marv Levy. Marv Levy coached until he was 72. Bill is 69. You got Mac Jones, Bill. Go for it!"

Now unless, I missed the comment by Tedy, I think The Mac Jones era will be longer than five years and I am pretty sure at the moment that Tedy Bruschi would agree with me. 

From those that covered Tedy's comments, It seems when it comes to the all time wins record, I'm right along with many others on think Belichick should hang in until he breaks the record. And it's been said in the past that his job is secure until he gives it up.

The Patriots head coach appears to have the franchise quarterback for the next decade in line with Mac Jones. Belichick has been good at retooling the defense, while the offense is in the middle of a rebuild. This up coming draft will be crucial with the number of big money veterans being free agents. If Bill gets it right, there is no need for him to retire unless he gets bored.

The oldest coach to coach an NFL game was Romeo Crennel at 73 and the oldest coach to coach a college game was Joe Paterno at 84 years old. In the NFL one has to win to coach that long or be a good coordinator and get lucky enough to coach a game while the team is without it's head coach. 2020's 7-9 record was the worst of Belichick's career since the 2000 season.

Currently the Patriots are currently looking at a playoff birth when they were projected to finish below .500 again this season. So it's unlikely the Patriots are going to be in a position to where Belichick could lose his job due to a losing record. I guess the question is if Bill stuck around for the entire Mac Jones era, could he put together one last dynasty? It's fun to think about but we're on to Tennessee. Let's just appreciate Bill now while he's here because great coaches are harder to find than elite quarterbacks.

Intelligence gets over looked and greatness depends on criteria.

What comes to mind when you hear the names Michael Vick, Lamar Jackson, Cam Newton, and Randall Cunningham? How about Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Chad Pennington, or Mac Jones? When you think about them other than the fact they play quarterback, I bet you think of two different things.

The first group of quarterbacks are athletic running quarterbacks. They're often referred to in the modern day as quarterbacks with high ceilings. They're considered gifted or talented because they can move like a running back. And at the very least have a substandard arm at worst. 

The second group is known for their intelligence. How well they can process things. They're also known for being statues. They may be considered to have a higher floor but they're also considered to have a lower ceiling in the modern era due to lack of (physical) talent. 

We hear all the time that athletes have to train to all the time to be at the physical level they're at. We also hear all the time that the second group will never attain the physical talents of the first group. We hear how the second group has to continuously sharpen their mental abilities to make up for their physical abilities. So why is knowing how to use mental gifts not considered a talent?

The cast of First things first said "most talented doesn't mean best career." And "greatness depends on the criteria used."

There are some that will say Aaron Rodgers, John Elway  and Patrick Mahomes are the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. 

Then there is a group that says Peyton Manning, Brett Farve, and Dan Marino are the greatest to ever play.

And finally there are those who consider Tom Brady, Joe Montana, and Terry Bradshaw as the greatest quarterbacks ever. 

The first group is rated on Talent, that group has guys like Cam Newton and Michael Vick in it. The second group is all about stats. The third group is about winning percentages and championships.

Ever notice the guys like Joe Montana, Tom Brady, and even Mac Jones are considered game managers or system quarterbacks? Their intelligence is looked down upon. A game manager does what's needed to win without trying to be flashy. They play smart and don't try to be reckless with the ball in order to make the big plays. They are criticized because of that. 

I appreciate mobility but in a quarterback I want a guy who can stand in the pocket and make intelligent decisions with the ball. That includes knowing when to leave the pocket. There's a mobile journeyman quarterback in Houston currently that doesn't get appreciated because he plays like that and is considered too conservative.

I'll ask this, what good is physical talent if you don't know how to use it? This season, we have seen teams take away Patrick Mahomes's deep ball, and last year teams came up and forced Cam Newton to throw the ball. We saw both quarterbacks struggle.

Physical talent can only take a person so far. Intelligent players find a way to make careers work even without physical talent because they learn how to beat players with their minds. This doesn't just apply to quarterbacks or football but it is one of the best examples.

It's time we acknowledge mental gifts as talents and what criteria we use when determining how we determine elite and greatness. With that said, I believed that Mac Jones was the best quarterback in the draft followed by Fields and then Lawrence. And I still believe Mac will have better career in terms of stats, wins, and championships between the quarterbacks of this latest draft class.

Oh and one more thing. Some people are going to say Bradshaw wasn't good he was lucky. I hear his name mentioned in that group and I hear that arguement. My friend Ray says "you gotta be good to be lucky." I also hear Bradshaw only won so much because of his defenses. Montana and Brady benefited from good defenses, along with many other of the quarterbacks mentioned. Bradshaw like Montana has the rings and that pisses people off. Bradshaw might not of been a stat quarterback but he did his job and that's all that matters.

Is Bradshaw one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, that again depends on your criteria. For those that base it on rings, he's right there with Montana and Brady. Just like for those who base the best quarterbacks on wins, Mac Jones is the best quarterback from this draft class at the moment. 

Mac Jones Can Get Rattled, It's The Key To Beating Him.

The Patriots are in the thick of a playoff hunt and have to play the Falcons on Thursday night. Kendrick Bourne was asked if Mac Jones ever gets rattled. He said no in an interesting way. Now we've seen Mac in games, at camp, and at practice or the media has since he first reported. So Bourne was either protecting his quarterback or has a short memory. 

Kendrick Bourne November 14, 2021 per Chris Mason, "Mac Jones is wired differently. Mac always looks poised. I don’t know what it is. He’s driven differently, he’s so poised. That mindset can take you far in this league. He’s good at being in the moment.”

Mac Jones has been known for being too serious. It's one of the many reasons he gets compared to "the GOAT" Tom Brady, especially 2001 Tom Brady. The Patriots coaches and front office see it, just like everyone else. 

Mike Giardi November 17, 2021 said,  "The Patriots would like to see Mac Jones relax a little more, have some more fun on the field. Their certainty benefiting from his mind set right now."

On November 10, 2021, Nelson Agholor was quoted as saying,  “I love the kid. The most special thing about him is his passion and discipline toward football. He takes little things very hard and my job is to remind him how gifted, and how hard he already works, that he can’t allow the little things nag on him.”

Back on June 17th Josh McDaniels and David Andrews had to calm Mac Jones down after practice and discuss what was going on. After Jones had an emotional day.

June 17th Evan Lazar wrote, "For the first time this spring, we saw noticeable frustration from the first-round pick on Wednesday. Jones completed just three of his final ten passes with an interception to Dee Virgin, but it was his mental struggles throughout that stood out."

On July 29, 2021 Khari Thompson wrote, "Jones, not unlike Newton at one point during minicamp, took his helmet off and stormed off the field as the field goal unit ended the practice. Both Brian Hoyer and Newton came over and talked to him, with the visual of the veteran comforting the rookie trying to take his job resonating to close out the day."

It was also reported that Mac Jones showed emotional frustration on August 3rd. The third time during the offseason.

On November 1, 2021 Mac Jones said "You gotta watch the film and look at the X’s and O’s of it. But the overall message is keep playing. It isn’t always going to be perfect. For me, sometimes that’s really hard, because I want it to be better than that. I feel it falls on my hands a lot, because that’s what quarterback is.”

Back on September 13, 2021 Mac went on Weei and was asked if he's too hard on himself. 

Mac responded, "A lot of people say that, but just trying to be perfect and being a perfectionist is something that we all want to do here, try to be as perfect as we can..." "My goal is just to be able to do my job even better every week..." "But you also sometimes feel you left plays on the field, which I did, so that’s just the hardest part for me."

The biggest weapon Mac has is his intelligence. His biggest flaw is his emotional state, he's too serious. He's a perfectionist. If teams can get to Mac, they can get in his head and cloud his intelligence with emotion. They don't have to hit Mac. Just cause him to be off target. Get him to throw early or to throw a pick. Mac doesn't handle mistakes well.

That was the worry during the offseason. Could he stay cool when things weren't going his way or would he get stuck mentally. Mac Jones hasn't had that Ryan Leaf moment but that is the biggest fear anyone could have for the young quarterback because he's got all the tools to be the Patriots franchise quarterback for a long time but Leaf had the tools also.

If the Patriots can't teach him to let go and to stop trying to be perfect, no matter how much they protect him, his career will be short. Being one's best and being perfect are two different things and it's like Mac doesn't get that. It's gonna cost the Patriots. It's one thing to protect him from Tom Brady, It's another thing to protect one from themselves.

I'd hate to see how Mac takes it if his play cost the Patriots a playoff win. We made fun of Cam crying at the superbowl, we might see Mac cry a lot sooner. Mac is still a kid, yeah he plays a game with men but he's still a kid. And that I think is why his shots are downfield are limited. They're worried he can't handle not making too many plays downfield. I don't, it's just my opinion.

Former Hawaii Quarterback Gets Playing Time For The Argos

Cole McDonald played four years for the university of Hawaii, starting his junior and senior years. Cole would complete 61.4% of his 1004 attempts for 8,055 yards with 70 touchdowns and 24 interceptions, while only playing in 33 games. 

The 24 game starter would get drafted with the 224th pick of the seventh round of the 2020 draft by the Tennessee Titans. NFL.com rated McDonald 5.40 which is a UDFA and projected him as a six to seventh round selection.

NFL.com has the following on McDonald's scouting report. "Next up from the pass-happy Hawaii offense with good size and impressive touchdown production over the last two seasons as a starter. While he can read defenses and throw with touch, he doesn't have the timing or ball placement to make up for his weak arm. He needs to work to a condensed field as a pro, but even then, jumpy cornerbacks could feast since he struggles to work with consistent anticipation to limit contested throws. He's a decent athlete, but it's not enough to offset his throwing deficiencies."

McDonald could not make the Titans roster and was waived at the end of camp in August 2020.

In February the Arizona Cardinals signed McDonald to a future's contract but what did they see in him that would make them sign a guy the Titans passed on. Maybe Kyle Crabbs of TDN can explain. 

Kyle Crabbs wrote in his draft profile,  "Cole McDonald projects as a developmental quarterback the the NFL level. McDonald has several desirable traits, including flashes of arm talent, athleticism and the size of a prototypical passer — but he is a point and shoot passer by design in Hawaii’s Run-N-Shoot offense. The mental side of the game is going to need to be reconstructed from the foundation and as such McDonald should be considered a low risk, high reward prospect late in the NFL Draft. Great tools but a long way out."

In late May, the Cardinals who were carrying four quarterbacks, cut McDonald to make roster space. And McDonald stayed a free agent until September 13, 2021 when the Toronto Argos took a chance on him. 

McDonald has been riding the pine in the CFL. Taking advantage of professional development while he can, while earning a paycheck and keeping his football dreams alive. 

On November 16th, the Toronto Argonauts hosted the Edmonton Elks. With the game basically over around the half way mark of the fourth quarter, the Argos called Cole's number. 

McDonald Came in and got sacked and would later throw an interception. That was the team's second interception. The Argos would eventually fall 13 - 7.

McDonald on the day would go 4 of 8 for 45 yards with an interception and a sack that set the team 8 yards back. It's not the Ideal game but hopefully the Argos will give McDonald another chance. The Argos season isn't done yet as the team clinched the Eastern Division and play the division finals on December 5th. McDonald may not be done in 2021. With any luck he will be a grey cup champion in a few weeks.

Good luck Cole.

What Are The Patriots Options At Running Back Versus The Browns?

The Patriots maybe without both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson on Sunday versus the Cleveland Browns. That leaves halfbacks Brandon Bolden and J.J. Taylor as the main rushers on the team. The question is, are those two up to the task?

Part of their success will depend on the blocking. With Trent Brown supposed to be ready, how good will the blocking be against the Browns front seven? The Browns are only giving up 3.5 yards a carry. The other question is how good can McDaniels scheme things up? McDaniels has taken some heat for his play calling and without his top two backs, he will need to be on point.

Brandon Bolden has done an okay job of replacing James White but can he handle the main back duties for a game? Bolden is averaging 4.9 yards a carry on 22 attempts. Bolden has evaded 14 tackles. And is averaging 3.4 yards per carry when they stack the box. However, Bolden has never been allowed to be a feature back.

J.J. Taylor on the other hand isn't the same spark plug the Patriots had in 2020. This season he is averaging 2 yards per carry on 13 attempts. He's not been very good when the box gets stacked, averaging only 1 yard per carry and he's only got 1 evaded tackle on the season. He also doesn't seem to be as good of a pass blocker which may be hindering his playing time.

Jonnu Smith is expected to get some carries versus Cleveland if neither of the two injured backs return. Smith has 4 carries for 20 yards. Smith is not a back and if he lines up in the backfield as the halfback, better believe Cleveland will be expecting the run. This means Josh will have to get creative if he puts him back there.

The name nobody is talking about is Jacob Johnson, the Patriots fullback. He's been okay as a pass catcher but the Patriots have not given him a carry since adding him to their team. Even in his German football days, Johnson is hard to take down and may want to mix it up with Smith, so not to get anyone hurt. Having Johnson run from the fullback spot could create issues for the defense and allow for misdirection.

How the Patriots approach the running game will effect the outcome of this game as the Patriots are a run first team. However, the Patriots like to use the screen and short pass as runs. If McDaniels can lure the defense in and hit the backs coming out of the backfield, they might not need worry about how well they can run in between the tackles. It's a big if and if the Patriots cannot work the play action, Mac Jones could be in for a long day.

OBJ Chooses The Rams Over Patriots Nation

OBJ wanted his release from the Browns and he got it. Then he was rumored to want to play for the Chiefs, Saints, and Packers. There was also rumors that the Patriots were still in the mix because he had great respect for head coach Bill Belichick. After Wednesday, the OBJ camp said it could be a few days before he signed.

A day later and OBJ is a Los Angeles Ram. He gets an offensive minded coach. A good quarterback, and goes to a team that is only seven and two on the season. Pretty much everything he asked for, whether or not it's a one year deal.

As for why I am writing about this. Not every fan wanted OBJ in New England. Some thought he was overrated. Some thought he was just another name. And some of the fanbase thought he was in decline and wasn't worth adding him to the Patriots roster. With OBJ choosing to sign with the Rams over the Patriots, maybe this article will help the rest of the fanbase.

See OBJ could've taken the Patriots offer to come to New England. He passed on the team, he passed on Belichick, but most importantly, he passed on you. He passed on us, he passed on the fanbase. It doesn't matter of he's ring chasing because once in the playoffs, every team is a real contender.

The 29 year old will probably never, ever get another chance to be a member of the New England Patriots. And the one chance he got, presumably he was polite and said "no thanks" but for all we know, he could've just as very well have said "Nah, F' that place!" He's never worn the jersey and it's time to stop treating him like he has. He doesn't want to play for the Patriots, he doesn't want to play for us, and will only come now if he gets desperate. If he ever comes crawling to the team for a contract, I want everyone to remember this moment. If we're not good enough for him now, why should we think he's good enough for us ever again?

Cam Newton Returns Home

The Carolina Panthers cut Cam Newton in 2020 and the New England Patriots signed him just weeks before fall camp was to start. Newton would play all but one game but his performance as a passer was bad enough that not only did the Patriots select a quarterback in the first round, that quarterback took his job and the Patriots cut Cam just prior to the start of the 2021 season.

The excuse train had slowly quieted down as teams continued to pass on Cam. Throughout the season, quarterbacks got injured and one by one teams continued to pass on the veteran quarterback. The more teams that passed on him, the quieter his fan base got. Maybe, just maybe they had started to hold Newton accountable for his play.

This afternoon the Carolina Panthers have decided that with Sam Darnold's injury, to bring back the veteran quarterback, and the first article I read by Brian Mazique of the Heavy is quick to start blaming the tight ends and receiving core for Cam's faults as a passer.

At the end of the day, Newton was at fault. Newton had 12 rushing touchdowns, let's not forget that, as it often gets overlooked but he's to blame for his struggles as a passer in 2020. The Panthers were in need of a quarterback and now at the very least Cam can retire a Panther, if he so chooses.

Being Thursday, Cam will probably backup the former Houston Roughneck XFL MVP, quarterback P.J. Walker but after that, who knows. This maybe Newton's last chance in the NFL, so he needs to approach it that way. If he cannot beat out Walker, his time should be over. For Newton to be successful, he needs to take the job from Darnold and prevent the panthers from drafting a quarterback in 2022. All we can do is wish the former Patriots starter luck and send him off properly.

Thank you Cam for all you did for the Patriots but you're not a Patriots quarterback anymore so piss off because you're no longer relevant in New England. Your chapter in the organization is closed and soon a footnote to be forgotten like the guys between Grogan and Bledsoe.

And with that hopefully the bandwagoners who came to foxboro will return to Carolina where they belong. And maybe the fanbase can start to heal from the divide they caused. As we've moved on to Mac Jones the new face of the franchise and the only ones still hung up on him aren't fans of any team and will jump to Lamar when Newton retires.

It's Improbable That The Patriots Will Sign OBJ

I recently wrote about why I don't want OBJ on the Patriots on my Facebook page. That does not mean I do not think he would be better than some of the options the Patriots have on the depth chart of pass catchers. There are just things I'm not happy with about OBJ, his true catch percentage and the number of drops he's on pace for this year are the main two. 

Here are the Patriots top five pass catchers true catch rate and drop percentage and OBJs.

Kendrick Bourne has a true catch rate of a 93.5% and a drop rate of 5.1%.

Nelson Agholor has a true catch rate of 91.7% and a drop rate of 2.4%.

Jakobi Meyers has a true catch rate of 85.2% and a drop rate of 1.4%.

Hunter Henry has a true catch rate of 93.1% and a drop rate of 2.6%.

Jonnu Smith has a true catch rate of 80.8% and a drop rate of 5.9%.

Compare that to OBJ. OBJ has a true catch rate of 70.8% and a drop rate of 11.8%. That's not on Mayfield. Those stats are on OBJ and he analytically would be coming in as the sixth best pass catcher in need of some help. Averaging his season ending totals since 2017, OBJ has had a true catch rate of 76.98% including this season so far. His drop rate over the same span is 8.04%. So Troy Brown will be busy.

Baker Mayfield's true QBR is the 6th best according to player profiler and his 72.5% true completion is good enough to be the 13th best quarterback in the nfl. Compare that to Mac Jones. Mac Jones's true QBR is ranked 18th and his true completion percentage is 71.6% ranked 18th. Baker analytical is better in two important areas then Mac, on a dysfunctional Browns team.

OBJ has to be held to some level of accountability for his stats. Patriots fans have been unhappy with Jonnu's production and OBJ's production this season has been worse according to analytics in those two areas. With a true catch rate of 70.8% and a drop rate just under 12%, how reliable of a pass catcher is OBJ but I guess that's besides the point at the moment.

It's been pointed out to me that "it's OBJ man, OBJ!" And fans have suggested that i "go watch his Giants highlights." He hasn't been a Giant since 2018, we're midway through his third season away from New York. A lot can change in three seasons, especially when it comes to a players abilities but again I digress.

The Seahawks, Chiefs, Saints, and Packers are all linked to the wideout free agent. OBJ wants to play for a contender with a good coach. Which puts the Patriots in the mix but if one looks at what Schefter said OBJ wants, the Patriots maybe at the bottom end of the mix.

Schefter said OBJ wants “a playoff contender and in a winning environment, where he believes he would be happy and productive.”

Currently the Packers are being reported as the front runners but why?

Belichick and McDaniels will use OBJ to where he's the most productive for them. However, the Patriots spread the ball around, would OBJ get the type of production he's looking for in New England to be happy? That's the question and why other teams are ranked a head of  them. 

Also with Bill Belichick being one of the oldest coaches, and his retirement nearing, how stable are the Patriots over the next few seasons? That could also be factoring into this equations. When OBJ is picking his team.

I would temper expectations on the Patriots ability to sign him and of what type of production he will deliver if signed. The Patriots would be needing to get the guy back into 2018 shape and it might not be possible or it could take time to get there. The probability of him coming to the Patriots and him being the player everyone is expecting is low. Just like there is only one Tom Brady situation, fans need to be reminded that Moss is another improbable situation to try and duplicate.

*Also to note, OBJ Number of games over the past few seasons varies.

The Great Divide Among Patriots Fans

Patriots nation is a family. Families often get into disputes but unless it's something serious, they can normally come back together for the sake of the family. Patriots nation has had a rift for a few years but it's not just over one thing.

There is the Brady versus Belichick debate. It's silly but a debate. And then there's another on whether or not the Patriots should've paid Brady to stay in New England. Brady's stats were coming down and there was a visible drop in some of his play but Brady went to Tampa and has been playing at a high level. Brady didn't just go to a bum team though, he went to a stacked team that got even better.

As for the Brady versus Belichick debate, sure one could look at Manning in Denver or Brady in Tampa as signs that it was Brady who was responsible for the dynasty but Shanahan in Denver or Gruden in Tampa are just two examples of where a good head coach had to go to a franchise to win. Elway had been in denver over a decade but could not win a ring. Pop in Shanahan and boom, Elway gets his ring.

The divide doesn't stop there. There are fans upset that the Patriots cut Cam Newton. That believe he would have the Patriots undefeated. Many of these fans don't think the Patriots should've drafted Mac Jones. Then there are the fans who think the Patriots record would be the same if not worse with Cam and know the passing offense would be worse. If Newton was as good as people think, he would be on a team.

There's a group of fans that believe Belichick needs to step down as general manager and don't think he knows what he's doing. And there are those who disagree.

There are fans that think Belichick should step down as head coach and there are those who disagree and ask replaced with whom?

There are those who want Josh McDaniels to be the next head coach and those who don't. There are also fans that think the league has caught up to McDaniels as a coordinator and then there are those who blame Belichick and the roster for McDaniels over the past few seasons.

There is a divide over whether or not Steve Belichick should be fired or not. Whether or not he should be stripped of play calling duties, and a divide over whether he should replace his dad as the next head coach.

Then there is a divide over whether the Patriots have a losing history. Prior to 2020, post millennium fans were saying "the Patriots don't know what losing is," and they meant it. They are some of the most arrogant and entitled fans in sports.

Then there is the pre 2001 era Patriots fans, who saw the team be one of the laughing stocks of the league for part or most of the team's first forty years. While a little cocky at times, these fans knew that at anytime the Patriots could return to obscurity like the way the cowboys did after their 1970 & early 80s dynasty. These fans were referred to as elitist by the new generation of fans.

If you monitor social media you can find arguement between fans over the Patriots team history. Yes for twenty years the Patriots have been good but that's only a third of their team history. And it's true we shouldn't live in the past but we shouldn't ignore it either.

There are other rifts also like the Patriots fans that are only fans of winning, and there are rifts over whether or not it's okay to criticize the team. For some fans, if they hear anyone criticize the team, they will label you in the same category as the "negative" boston media. In fact the Patriots media has two factions, the "negative" and the "homers." And any information from the other side is instantly discredited unless one of their own presents it.

There are even rifts over how football is to be watched. Some fans only watch the Patriots and think they're the only football team to pay attention to, while other fans think you have to watch and pay attention to every team or you're not a real patriots fan. 

Patriots Nation is a family and just like any family blood doesn't make right. Family can be wrong and just like any other family, there will be internal fights. The family will either eventually come together or divide into clicks and cut the rest of the family off. Now that the Brady era is over, the only thing at the moment that can truly unite the family besides time, is if Mac Jones starts a new dynasty. 

Remember we as Patriots nation have one job family, and that is to support the Patriots any way we know how. Don't let anyone tell you how to be a fan of the Patriots, just continue to wish and cheer for their best. 

I don't know, it's just a thought.