Mac Jones

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton said rookie Mac Jones reached out to have a conversation before his NFL preseason debut against the Washington Football Team on Thursday night.

"He came and talked to me, and we talked it out about just his expectation. Every young quarterback goes through it—the excitement, the anticipation," Newton told reporters. "He wants to be so perfect, and I see his preparation is always pristine. That's what I admire about him."

Both Newton and Jones spent time leading the Pats' offense in the 22-13 win. Newton is the projected starter, as head coach Bill Belichick has confirmed on multiple occasions, but the prized prospect out of Alabama is still trying to make his case.

Jones, the 15th pick in the 2021 draft, was impressive in his first game action at the NFL level. He completed 13 of his 19 throws (68.4 percent) for 87 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

"Some good things, some things we can improve on. That's true for everybody," head coach Bill Belichick said when asked about the performance.

Newton went 4-of-7 for 49 yards, while No. 3 signal-caller Brian Hoyer went 2-of-4 for 14 yards.

Rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson was the Patriots' standout performer, rushing for 127 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries.

Newton explained he'll continue to provide Jones with some veteran insights as the offense attempts to round into form before the regular season kicks off.

"But for him and today's performance, he's just going to keep getting better," the 2015 NFL MVP said. "We're going to be here for each other along this whole process, and that's what we're here for."

New England has two preseason games left, next Thursday against the Philadelphia Eagles and Aug. 29 against the New York Giants, before it starts the 2021 season Sept. 12 when it welcomes the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins to Gillette Stadium.

Welcome to New England, Mac Jones.

The Patriots' No. 15 overall pick out of Alabama took the field in front of the home crowd for the first time Thursday as New England opened the preseason against the Washington Football Team with a 22-13 victory.

Even before taking a single snap, Jones, who replaced starter Cam Newton late in the first quarter, was embraced by the fans at Gillette Stadium:

In limited action, Jones played well enough for New England to earn the win. The Patriots also got three field goals from Quinn Nordin—including a 50-yarder—to go with two fourth-quarter touchdowns from running back Rhamondre Stevenson.

Washington's Lamar Miller and Peyton Barber accounted for WFT's two touchdowns.

QB Numbers

Cam Newton, Patriots: 4-of-7, 49 yards, 78.9 rating

Mac Jones, Patriots: 13-of-19, 87 yards, one sack, 78.2 rating

Brian Hoyer, Patriots: 2-of-4, 14 yards, 58.3 rating

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Washington: 5-of-8, 58 yards, 84.4 rating

Taylor Heinicke, Washington: 9-of-15, 86 yards, one sack, 76.0 rating

Steven Montez, Washington: 17-of-24, 108 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, one sack, 76.4 rating

Mac Jones Shines in Debut

It's not often a first-string quarterback serves as the warm-up act, but that was the role Newton found himself in. It's his job to lose, but people were there to see Jones.

A year after Tom Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jones was drafted to lead a new era in New England.

Jones played five series, continually spread the ball across the field and could've had at least one touchdown if not for a drop in the end zone. He was accurate and showed touch in getting the ball to the spots he wanted:

Granted, it's the first preseason game and no one who has a guaranteed roster spot is looking to go full throttle just yet, but it's hard not to get excited by Jones' potential. That was the case for Patriots fans, many of whom headed for the exits after Brian Hoyer replaced Jones in the third quarter.

Jones did get to lead the first series after halftime and used 13 plays to go 53 yards in 5:12 before stalling out at the Washington 22-yard line. The drive ended with a field goal.

Chase Young Makes Big Impact in Little Time

In just a few snaps, defensive end Chase Young proved he's more than ready to follow up his Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign. In fact, he may have announced his candidacy for Defensive Player of the Year.

Young came out ready to attack, with Newton taking the brunt of his efforts. The Ohio State product burst off the line of scrimmage in the first quarter, promptly pushed his way through single coverage and took down Newton in the backfield, though it wasn't officially a sack since the QB was ruled to have released the ball before Young got to him:

"We don't look at it as preseason, man," Young told the NFL Network broadcast after he came out of the game. "I knew I wasn't going to get much time, so I thought it was good practice for me to start early. ... I felt good about what we did."

Young also ended Newton's night by drawing a holding call on tight end Jonnu Smith on third down, forcing the Patriots to kick a field goal and derailing a solid drive.

Young entered training camp with the fourth-best odds to win Defensive Player of the Year, with DraftKings Sportsbook listing him at +850 (bet $100 to win $850). Only T.J. Watt (+800), Myles Garrett (+500) and Aaron Donald (+500) held better odds.

That may look like a value play by the time the regular season rolls around.

What's Next?

WFT will take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday, Aug. 20, at 8 p.m. ET at FedEx Field. The Patriots will be back in action Thursday, Aug. 19, at 7:30 p.m. when they travel to Lincoln Financial Field versus the Philadelphia Eagles.

Even though Bill Belichick is unlikely to give any clues about who the New England Patriots starting quarterback will be when the regular season begins, Mac Jones is reportedly earning high marks from teammates during training camp. 

After ESPN's Mike Reiss said on Get Up that Jones is "making an impression" on Patriots players, Louis Riddick added the rookie "is coming on strong."

Belichick has consistently said throughout the offseason that Cam Newton is New England's starter, but he always points out that everyone has to earn their spot. 

Here is what Belichick told reporters about open competition on July 31:

“Yeah, that’s right everyone does start from scratch. Again, we all have to reestablish ourselves and that goes for a lot of other players that you could name as well that I’m sure in your mind you think they are starters, and maybe they are starters and they probably will be starters, but they all have to reestablish their positions. That’s across the board for the whole team. That doesn’t just pertain to one person or position.”

Newton re-signed with the Patriots on a one-year incentive-laden deal in March. New England used the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NFL draft to select Jones coming off his breakout season at Alabama. 

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported last week that it "doesn’t seem like there is an open competition" at quarterback because Newton "starts every drill" and gets "the most work with the starting offensive line, and working with the starting receivers during special teams drills."

Volin did note there have been days when Jones looks better than Newton in the pocket and "and makes better throws" than the former NFL MVP.

The Patriots open their preseason schedule on Thursday against the Washington Football Team. Reiss reported Jones and Newton are both expected to play, but Belichick has yet to name a starter. 

Given that the Patriots invested a first-round pick in Jones, it stands to reason he will see playing time during the regular season at some point. 

New England might want to see how well Newton performs after the team spent big money in the offseason to upgrade the skill-position group.

Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith and Nelson Agholor were all brought in to help boost an offense that ranked 27th in points per game last season. 

Newton threw for 2,657 yards and accounted for 20 total touchdowns in 15 starts with the Patriots in 2020. 

Jones finished third in 2020 Heisman voting after throwing for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and completed 77.4 percent of his passes. He led the Crimson Tide to a 13-0 record and a national championship in his only season as the starter.     

The New England Patriots are reportedly planning to play both of their top two quarterbacks, Cam Newton and rookie Mac Jones, in Thursday's preseason opener against the Washington Football Team.

ESPN's Mike Reiss reported it's unclear how long Newton and Jones will remain in the exhibition game, but Newton is expected to take the "initial snaps" as the Pats' projected starter ahead of the 2021 season.

Newton posted a solid 65.8 percent completion rate in 2020, his first year in New England, but that didn't translate to an efficient passing attack. He threw for just 2,657 yards with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions across 15 starts.

While the 2015 NFL MVP added 592 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground, the Patriots finished 27th in both total offense (327.3 yards per game) and scoring offense (20.4 points per game) last season.

The Pats still opted to re-sign Newton, who spent the first nine years of his career with the Carolina Panthers, in March and then drafted Jones with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft in April.

Last week, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told the NFL Network's Willie McGinest, a former standout linebacker for the team, that Jones has been "competing well" in training camp.

"Cam is getting better every day, Mac is getting better every day," Belichick said. "They're pushing each other. Competition makes us all better. It's been healthy. We'll see how it goes."

While Newton has been the expected Week 1 starter since camp opened, it'll be interesting to see whether that perception could change depending on preseason performance.

Jones is coming off a season where he led Alabama to a national championship with a perfect 13-0 record. He completed 77.4 percent of his throws for 4,500 yards with 41 touchdowns and only four interceptions to cause his draft stock to soar.

While there's a significant jump in the level of competition and a learning curve associated with running an NFL offense, it may not take him long to enter the conversation as the Pats' starter, especially if Newton doesn't showcase improvement in terms of pushing the ball downfield for big plays.

It's also telling that the Patriots are going to feature both Newton and Jones in their first preseason game while many teams around the NFL rest their key starters to lessen the risk of injury. Live snaps against an opponent is still a better way to assess where both signal-callers stand right now compared to practice reps.

Brian Hoyer is the other quarterback on the Pats' roster with Jarrett Stidham sidelined by a back injury.

After Thursday's clash with Washington, New England will have preseason contests with the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 19 and the New York Giants on Aug. 29.

The Patriots kick off the regular season Sept. 12 when they host the AFC East rival Miami Dolphins.

As his second training camp in New England continues to roll along, Cam Newton appears to have fully bought into the "Patriot Way" and is helping rookie quarterback Mac Jones adjust to life in the NFL.

ESPN's Mike Reiss noted the No. 15 overall pick out of Alabama took nearly twice as many reps as Newton did Wednesday and Thursday after a difficult practice Tuesday with the 2015 MVP serving as a "model teammate" from the sidelines.

"He puts it all out on the line for the team," Patriots safety Devin McCourty told Reiss.

Belichick brought Newton back to New England on a one-year, $5.1 million deal this offseason, though Jones is likely the team's long-term plan under center. According to some who have seen Jones at training camp, that future may not be too far off.

"[Jones] is not operating like a rookie, that's clear to me," former New York Jets director of executive Pat Kirwan told Reiss. "He has poise, good arm strength. He's more what [offensive coordinator] Josh [McDaniels] wants to do, and how he's done it in the past. ... I wouldn't be surprised if by October we see [Jones] under center."

Newton, by recent accounts, appears ready to help Jones make that ascension.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick anticipates a tight race between Cam Newton and Mac Jones for the team's starting quarterback job.

According to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, Belichick commented on the competition Saturday, saying: "I'm sure it will be a hard decision. But we'll see how it goes. Just let them play and try to do what we feel like's best for the team based on their performance."

While things could change during training camp and the preseason, Belichick was steadfast on the quarterback situation right now, saying, "Cam's our starting quarterback."

It comes as little surprise that Newton is in the driver's seat early in training camp since he is the incumbent starter.

The 32-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowler and was an All-Pro and won the MVP award in 2015 with the Carolina Panthers, but he struggled mightily for much of 2020, his first season with the Pats.

In 15 games, Newton went 7-8 and completed 65.8 percent of his passes for just 2,657 yards and eight touchdowns with 10 interceptions.

Newton did thrive as a runner, though, rushing for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns, which marked his highest scoring total since his rookie year in 2011.

Life after Tom Brady was no picnic for the Patriots, who finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

It was obvious that New England needed a quarterback of the future, which is why it used its first pick on Jones.

Jones played his way into the first round with a remarkable 2020 season at Alabama during which he led the Crimson Tide to a 13-0 record and the national title.

Replacing Tua Tagovailoa as the Alabama starter, Jones completed 77.4 percent of his passes for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns with four interceptions, netting him a third-place finish in Heisman Trophy voting.

While Jones boasts remarkable tools, his athleticism lags far behind Newton's.

Since Newton and Jones are such different players, the quarterback competition could come down to which style Belichick prefers.

Belichick won six Super Bowls with a largely stationary quarterback in Brady, so it may not be long before Jones takes the starting job even if he doesn't win it in training camp.

Jones' first big opportunity will come Aug. 12 when the Pats host the Washington Football Team in their preseason opener.