There’s not much more clarity in the New England Patriots’ quarterback battle through two weeks of preseason, but for a reason that Bill Belichick is surely fine with- both quarterbacks look good.
The Patriots annihilated the Eagles on Thursday night in Philadelphia, 35-0. Hey, it’s preseason and tons of backups are involved to skew the reality of what each team brings to the table, but it was a great showing by the Patriots and an ugly showing by the Eagles- as the score would suggest. Heck, the third play from scrimmage summarized how the game would go:
Third play of the game lolololol pic.twitter.com/yo6Eb0tAHp
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) August 19, 2021
Still, Newton and Jones truly were good.
Newton got the start and went 8-for-9 with 109 passing yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, and a 151.4 passer rating.
.@CameronNewton with a strike to @BournePoly11 🎯
📺: #NEvsPHI on @NFLNetwork (or check local listings)
📱: https://t.co/PMCIWFqcJn pic.twitter.com/yFgp9iAJS7— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2021
Jakobi Meyers with a great effort to turn this Cam Newton pass into a Patriots touchdown. pic.twitter.com/7B8xZZtGMn
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) August 20, 2021
So, the 32-year-old Newton had full command of the offense and was very efficient. But the much more important big-picture story for the Patriots is with Jones, who followed up a rock-solid preseason debut with another impressive performance.
The Patriots’ 2021 first-round pick (15th overall) completed 13-of-19 passes for 149 yards and a 91.1 passer rating. He looked like a longtime veteran instead of someone in their second NFL game, showing off poise, pocket awareness, good footwork, and delivering strikes all over the field.
Mac Jones on a frozen rope 🚀
pic.twitter.com/rOiDECIg0t— PFF (@PFF) August 20, 2021
.@MacJones_10 converts a 3rd & 13 to @NkealHarry15. #NFLPreseason
📺: #NEvsPHI on @NFLNetwork (or check local listings)
📱: https://t.co/PMCIWFqcJn pic.twitter.com/i64qRVsGye— NFL (@NFL) August 20, 2021
And just like last week, Jones threw a bomb that should’ve been caught (and would’ve provided a big statistical boost).
Mac Jones with a pretty deep ball, but N'Keal Harry drops it and injures a shoulder in the process. pic.twitter.com/0AM630j2fS
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) August 20, 2021
Mac Jones is 13 of 19 for 146 yards over four possessions. Of those six incompletions, there's been three drops and a spike.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 20, 2021
It remains to be seen which direction the Patriots will go for Week 1 at quarterback, but they have to be very encouraged by what they’ve seen from Jones so far. And if they decide to be patient with the rookie quarterback, there’s a very capable veteran in Newton that can run the offense in the meantime.
Related: Eagles QB Jalen Hurts sent to hospital after warm-ups due to abdominal pain
