Cam Newton shouldn’t worry about Mac Jones yet, but Patriots QB does have something to prove

PHILADELPHIA – The look said it all before Cam Newton even opened his mouth.

The New England Patriots’ first joint practice session with the Philadelphia Eagles had concluded. After an underwhelming performance, Newton was again fielding questions on his job security.

The largely New England-based swarm of reporters tried their hardest to unearth details of the Patriots’ plans at quarterback, because asking tight-lipped coach Bill Belichick directly rarely proves revelatory.

So, when asked if Belichick has told him that he will start the regular-season opener, Newton tilted his head to the side and gave the most dramatic of smirks, as only he can.

“Y’all sitting up here asking silly questions to me, and I’m looking at y’all with the same,” Newton said with a smile. “I don’t know what y’all want me to say. Because, no. You know he hasn’t said that. You know that. So, for you to just ask the question, it is what it is. Every single day, I’m coming out here with the same anticipation of getting better, and that’s the only thing I can do.”

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Newton is entering his 11th NFL season and his second with the Patriots, yet the former league MVP again finds himself under scrutiny. Despite the support Belichick has professed for Newton, the struggles he exhibited last season have not been forgotten. Combine the 2020 campaign with continued inconsistencies during training camp and this young preseason, and the addition of rookie Mac Jones, and there’s a common belief that it’s only a matter of time before the Patriots will begin a new era at quarterback.

But Newton – who’s no stranger to scrutiny – refuses to entertain the what-ifs while readying for another showcase opportunity this Thursday night against Philadelphia.

“As far as someone else’s interpretation of what Week 1 is, I’m trying to focus on what tomorrow brings and even the adjustments for tonight’s meeting,” Newton said. “I don’t take it personal. I just want y’all to understand. Everything y’all know, I know. … Each and every day, I don’t necessarily care about who’s starting Week 1. I mostly care about putting the best product out there for me.”

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After just one week of the preseason, Newton seemingly has Jones breathing down his neck – potentially for the starting job, but certainly in the popularity department as well.

The No. 15 pick of the draft entered last Thursday’s preseason opener at the end of the first quarter to a standing ovation from the fans in Foxborough. Over the course of the next two-plus quarters, the Alabama product flashed his promise while completing 13 of 19 passes for 87 yards.

It’s typical for fans to overreact in the preseason, so outsiders’ anticipation of Jones blossoming into the next great Patriots quarterback has spiked.

Fortunately for Newton, Belichick doesn’t care about popularity. The coach is also smart enough to know that Newton’s play came against Washington’s starting unit while Jones faced backups. So, comparing Newton’s 4-for-7 passing for 49 yards and Jones’ numbers isn’t exactly apples to apples.

But Newton does need to play some of the best ball of his career to remain atop the depth chart.

There’s also a reason why Belichick used a first-round pick on Jones. Newton wasn’t as effective last year as in previous healthy seasons. And although Belichick remained committed to him in 2020, Newton may not receive the same grace if his struggles persist.

Newton has been steady steady this summer. He naturally has a better command of the Patriots’ offense after a year in the system. However, he has indeed struggled with consistency, particularly when asked to quickly move through progressions and attack downfield. Monday’s practice reflected such struggles. As was the case last season, he opted more often to settle for dump-off passes. Yet when hoping to go downfield, he’s often guilty of holding onto the ball too long rather than throwing with proper anticipation.

Jones, meanwhile, has displayed quick decision-making and delivered more splash plays. But the rookie’s haste also proved risky. In Monday’s session, Eagles defenders dropped would-be interceptions by Jones three different times.

“Football is hitting the open guys and knowing when to get them the ball, and today, sometimes, I shouldn’t have thrown the ball,” Jones said. “But we wanted to push the ball down the field, and I took some shots here and there.”

Critiquing his play in his preseason debut against Washington, Jones said, “I could’ve slowed down a little bit, take it in and stick to my rules. I felt like I left a lot of plays on the field. It’s hard to watch the film sometimes, but you’ve got to take it for what it’s worth and tell the guys ‘my bad,’ and move forward.”

Jones most certainly will take more lumps, particularly if he starts early. It’s one thing to do well in the early preseason when defenses don’t game plan for quarterbacks. But excelling in the regular season, when defensive coordinators devote their all to exploit passer’s weaknesses, is much more challenging.

Newton offers something that Jones cannot: experience. And with upgraded tight end and wide receiver units this season, he has more playmakers at his disposal. But more and more, he’s going to have to use his mind to beat opponents rather than physical skills, because Father Time remains undefeated, and Newton at 32 isn’t as dynamic as he was at 26 or even 29. And rarely did Newton carve up opponents with his arm in 2020.

Can Newton clip the switch between now and the start of the preseason and reaffirm Belichick’s confidence in him?

The closing sequence of Monday’s practice certainly didn’t help his case.

While executing the two-minute offense, Newton moved his unit into scoring position with time running out. Then he threw a pass behind his intended target, tight end Devin Asiasi, and then he threw an interception in the back of the end zone to Eagles linebacker Eric Wilson.

Newton shrugged the sequence off, explaining, “It was third down and we was down by four, and it was a chance. Rather than taking a sack, you’ve got to give somebody a chance and that’s all it pretty much was… It’s our job to protect the football, but given the circumstance of the play, with seven seconds left, I was just trying to give my guy a chance.”

But then Jones came out and also marched his unit downfield. The drive stalled with two inaccurate passes, but then the rookie regrouped and hit wide receiver N’Keal Harry on a fade route in the left corner of the end zone to end practice.

But Newton remained unfazed. Each day in the NFL features another set of highs and lows. Maintaining focus is key. Worrying about uncertainties is pointless, Newton will tell you.

“Just comes with the territory. This is my 11th year and that’s a lot,” he said. “I think just the overall normalcy of being a human. … I’m not perfect, but you live and you learn.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Mike Jones on Twitter @ByMikeJones.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cam Newton shouldn’t worry about Mac Jones in Patriots’ QB race – yet