By: Matt Luchini
Twitter: @matt_luchini
It’s no secret that the play from Patriots quarterbacks last season was nothing short of abysmal. Cam Newton got off to a hot start through the first few weeks before testing positive for COVID-19, then became virtually ineffective for the remainder of the season. Newton finished the season with 2657 passing yards, just 8 passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 592 rushing yards, and 12 rushing touchdowns. Newton’s passing was subjected to criticism from local and national media, as he looked to be struggling to throw the ball at times, making the ball look like a can of paint on many passing attempts. Brian Hoyer was no better in his limited game action, where he made a crucial mental mistake at the end of the first half of the Patriots' Week 4 matchup against the eventual AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs. Jarrett Stidham has never been able to earn consistent playing time through his 2 seasons in New England. The Patriots’ quarterback room was considered to be near the bottom of the league during the 2020 season.
The Patriots may have found their QB of the future in former Alabama QB Mac Jones, who they selected with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Jones led the Alabama Crimson Tide to a National Championship in 2021, while also racking up plenty of awards and accolades, such as the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the top collegiate quarterback each year. Jones had a very unique college career. As a freshman, he was behind two future NFL QB’s on the Alabama depth chart in Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa. Hurts went on to transfer to the University of Oklahoma before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Tagovailoa entered the 2020 NFL Draft and was selected fifth overall by the Miami Dolphins, leaving Jones as the clear-cut starting QB for the Crimson Tide in 2020. Jones finished the season with 4500 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions. He led Alabama to a 13-0 record, capped off by a 52-24 beatdown of the previously undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes. In the National Championship Game, Jones threw for 464 yards and 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.
In the weeks leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, Jones began drawing comparisons to former New England Patriot and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady. Jones is not the most athletic looking quarterback, with a body that has been compared to Brady when he entered the league back in 2000. However, analysts say that Jones has a very high IQ and is able to make accurate throws and the right decisions when in the pocket. Obviously, Jones is nowhere near Brady as he has yet to take a snap in even a preseason game, but with this high praise from analysts and reporters from around the league, Patriots fans have something to be very excited about for the future.
As of now, it is tough to tell when we may see Jones on the field during regular season action. Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick has continued to stand his ground and stick with Cam Newton as the starting QB for the 2021 season. The biggest argument that could be made for Newton is that he had a horrendous offense surrounding him throughout the 2020 season. N’Keal Harry has not even come close to playing like the first round receiver the Patriots had in mind when they drafted him in 2019, and the Patriots had arguably the worst tight ends in the NFL in 2020. Belichick wasted no time improving the offense once free agency started back in March, upgrading the tight end position in a big way by signing Hunter Henry AND Jonnu Smith, the 2 top Tight Ends available in Free Agency. He then upgraded the receiving corps by signing Nelson Agholor, and Kendrick Bourne. Belichick also bolstered an offensive line that was already near the top of the league in 2020. Despite losing Guard Joe Thunney to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Patriots re-signed Center David Andrews and made a trade to bring back Tackle Trent Brown. They also signed a bunch of lesser name, but quality linemen, such as Ted Karras, to provide plenty of depth at each of the offensive line positions.
With a revamped offense, Cam Newton has the opportunity to prove last season was a fluke and he can still play at a high level. It’s no secret that Newton works hard in the offseason, frequently posting workout videos either with coaches or with the new receiving targets he will have this upcoming season. With Brady and Tampa Bay coming to Foxborough in Week 4, a Jones vs Brady matchup would be a great narrative, but that may be too big of a stage too early in Jones’ career. If Newton plays well, there’s a chance Jones might not even play at all this year, using this year instead as a development year, similar to what the Chiefs did with Patrick Mahomes. However, if the Patriots start anything worse than 3-2 through the first five weeks of the season, Belichick will seriously have to consider making Jones the starter before the season becomes a loss.
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