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New England quarterbacks Cam Newton and Mac Jones played exceedingly well in the Patriots' blowout preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles last Thursday.
Newton started the game and completed 8-of-9 passes for 103 yards. Meanwhile, Jones put up the best performance of his initial preseason by completing 13-of-19 passes for 146 yards.
Right now, it seems as if the Patriots have a good thing going at quarterback after major struggles from Newton and Co. last season.
In talking to the media on Sunday, highly respected Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels might have broken some news about New England's quarterback competition.
“I think that decision from Bill Belichick will be made when the time is right to make it. Cam certainly is the starter now, and he has done a good job,” McDaniels said, via NESN. “He has gone in there, he played well the other night. He’s practiced well. But, I know those guys are really competing hard, and we’re giving them an opportunity to compete and play a lot of football.”
This is pretty much the first direct quote from a Patriots official in a position of authority calling Newton the starting quarterback.
Click here for our New England Patriots 2021 season preview and predictions
Of course, there’s a caveat here. McDaniels made sure to say “Cam certainly is the starter now.” Things can obviously change between now and New England’s Week 1 outing against the division-rival Miami Dolphins.
Patriots are in a good position at quarterback
Regardless of whomever is under center once the regular season opens, we can expect dramatic improvements from the quarterback position in New England compared to last season. It’s been a central focus for the organization during the summer.
“I am very pleased with the effort that we’re putting in at the quarterback position, the improvements we’re making, and the way that we’re attempting to run the offense,” McDaniels said. “Everything isn’t perfect. We still have a long way to go and things we can work on and improve and make better, but I think the desire to do it, the way we want to do it to the standard that we’re trying to hold them to I think is right where we want it to be.”
This is a much different tone than a season ago. In his first season with the Patriots, Newton was placed behind the proverbial eight-ball. He did not have an ability to work out with his new team during the offseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The preseason schedule was canceled. The former NFL MVP then came down with the virus during the season.
Now, with an entire offseason under his belt, Newton looks more like the version we saw dominate with the Carolina Panthers from 2013-18.
As for Jones, he was seen as one of the most pro-ready quarterbacks of the 2021 NFL Draft class. What we’ve seen during training camp and the preseason has done nothing to change that narrative.
In terms of the Patriots’ quarterback competition, it will be interesting to see how the snaps are allocated in their preseason finale against the New York Giants on Aug. 29. That could very well help dictate the player who is under center when things get real.
More must-reads:
- Patriots OC Josh McDaniels: Cam Newton 'certainly is the starter now'
- Patriots WR N'Keal Harry reportedly avoids serious injury
- The 'New England Patriots starting quarterbacks' quiz
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