Everyone wants to know when Mac Jones is going to play for the Patriots.
The short answer is, no one knows. It will all be determined in training camp, on the practice field, in the meeting rooms and in the exhibition games.
Could he sit his whole rookie season? Sure. Could he win the job by the season opener? Possibly. Is the more likely scenario Cam Newton starts the season but it's evident at some point, either by record or straight performance, that Jones is the better option? Yes.
We already showed you one play that illustrates how Jones already operates in a Patriots-like manner in the passing offense.
Here's another video/column where we show you Jones and Newton in similar situations, and how each reacted to it. This is going to be the big reason why Jones is likely to pass Newton for the Patriots' starting QB spot at some point — sooner rather than later in a now-tough division — unless Newton has just made remarkable progress behind the scenes.
Here it is in video/audio form:
Let's start with Newton. Granted, this is a play from his first game with the Patriots, but I still think it's fair to compare and contrast. The Patriots had all training camp to get ready for this game against a familiar opponent and defensive coach (Brian Flores). They knew what they were going to get. They knew what answers they needed to have.
Also, because of Jones' experience at Alabama and plays like this, as we'll illustrate, the point is, he's going to be ahead of where Newton was in his first game.
Patriots vs. Dolphins
The Dolphins, as they are apt to do, show all-out pressure. And with no deep safety, it doesn't look like they'll be backing out of it. The only thing Newton does at the line of scrimmage is identify the middle linebacker that the blockers will have to pick up. I talked in my original video from this game about how the Patriots need to have an answer to this, some sort of hand signal to check to some better routes. Remember that.
Then your job as QB is to identify who might quickly come open, and which matchup you might try to exploit.
What does Newton do? Under decent pressure, he does not see Julian Edelman with a good matchup and room to run underneath, or Damiere Byrd having the speed to win a vertical route in the end zone. Instead, he backs up into pressure, then tries to force a ball to Ryan Izzo, of all people, that is nearly picked off.
Not good,
Alabama vs. AuburnNow, let's look at Jones against Auburn. This is a play former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian highlighted in an interview with Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston.
"At our level, that doesn't happen all the time."
Former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian joins @PhilAPerry to break down the 'high-level' play Mac Jones made that surprised and impressed him. pic.twitter.com/5Xlb7aHp9q
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) May 5, 2021
First of all, there are obvious differences here between Newton and Jones: the score, the familiarity of playing with the same guys, and that Alabama's players are just better and are likely going to win.
But, let's go through what Jones does here ... and how similar it is to what a former QB could do for the Patriots.
- First of all, this is no-huddle. It's on the fly.
- Jones sees that it's likely going to be a zero blitz, similar to the Dolphins, and checks to a different protection, likely to fortify on his front side so he can get the pass away.
- Jones gives a hand signal to check the route combination, likely to target a specific matchup.
- After the snap, Jones does not retreat into pressure. He holds his ground — with better protection (that is partly his doing with the check, mind you) — and throws a perfect touch pass for the score. (Going through Newton film, there were a lot of poorly thrown bullet passes in similar situations.
So, to recap ...
- Jones identified the defense and adjusted the protection ... something Newton rarely did last year.
- Jones identified the coverage and matchups, and changed the route combination ... something Newton never did last year.
- Threw a perfect pass with touch just beyond the defender ... something Newton never did last year..
Bill Belichick may have his reasons for going with Newton to start the season, if that is indeed the case. But unless Newton has taken huge strides with the Patriots scheme this offseason, Jones is not going to be far behind him.
Newton is 31 years old and had been in the league for nine years — most with Mike Shula and Scott Turner, who were born and bred with pocket QBs. If operating like Jones did in college was in Newton's wheelhouse or comfort zone, he would have shown more last season with the Patriots. And he never advanced from the neophyte stage. It was not about Covid or the situation last year. Not as a veteran.
Jones as a rookie will be light years ahead of where Newton was a season ago. If Jones is the QB in the opener this year against Miami and sees the same Miami defense, there's a 99 percent chance he gives the Patriots a much better answer just by his knowledge. That's a huge deal in this scheme.
It will be on Newton to fend Jones off, and most of it will have to happen before the snap even happens. That's where the success of this offense lies.