Patriots fans make mad dash for Mac Jones jerseys
The Mac Jones era is in full swing and it didn’t take long for the New England Patriots fan base to get behind their new starting quarterback.
Just hours after the news broke, ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss reported that all of the Mac Jones jerseys in the official team store are sold out.
On Tuesday morning, the NFL world was stunned when the Boston Globe’s Jim McBride reported the Patriots were cutting Cam Newton, who many believed would remain the starter despite a stellar preseason outing and showing in training camp from Jones.
New England head coach Bill Belichick has remained relatively quiet about the quarterback battle throughout the preseason, refusing to place a timeline on his decision. The Patriots will continue to make cuts throughout the day to reach the NFL’s 53-man roster requirement for the regular season.
Jones vs. Newton
Newton saw limited preseason action compared to Jones in order to make sure he remained healthy. Newton only dropped back to pass 21 times compared to 65 attempts by Jones.
But even with the difference in attempts, Jones was statistically more of an impact as the Patriots quarterback. Pro Football Focus graded Newton’s preseason work as an 83.5, well under Jones’ 93.2.
PFF goes on to detail that Jones was a more accurate quarterback overall, and that he was better at “big plays” than Newton. In the same offensive scheme, Jones’ average passing target was 8.9 yards downfield. Newton’s targets were mostly closer, averaging 6.5 yards.
Is Mac Jones ready?
Cam Newton started the Patriots’ final preseason game and played limited snaps with the starters. Despite only attempting six passes, Newton did throw an interception that was on a good pass. Newton’s pass hit receiver Jakobi Meyers in the hands, but New York Giants defender Blake Martinez wrestled the ball out of Meyers’ hands for the interception.
PFF’s Sam Monson felt that Newton’s play throughout preseason indicates that he will be the starter by week one. The former NFL MVP hasn’t caused any concerns that would force the Patriots to go with Jones.
“I think the fact Mac Jones is working with a full second-team offense this week says Newton’s the starter week one,” explained Monson. “The fact Jones is still playing well with the second team suggests it won’t be for that long.”
When Mac Jones entered the game, he did not play with the first-team starters for the first time this preseason. With the Patriots resting their offensive line, Jones felt increased pressure from the defense and took four sacks before it was over.
Despite this, Jones still had an impressive performance without making any major errors. Jones completed 10 of 14 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown, his first passing touchdown of the preseason.