Patriots

8 takeaways from the Patriots’ heartbreaking OT loss to the Cowboys

By Elsie A. Dotson 1 week ago

Mac Jones is a quick study — but not quite quick enough. The New England Patriots couldn’t quite pull off a comeback over the Dallas Cowboys, who managed a walk-off touchdown in overtime, with Dak Prescott finding CeeDee Lamb for 35 yards. The Cowboys won, 35-29.

The Patriots rookie quarterback was nearly the scapegoat then the hero in regulation. He threw a pick-six to Trevon Diggs with two and a half minutes left in the game. The Patriots had needed just a first down to win it. Instead, they gave Dallas the lead. Then Jones did something remarkable. He hit Kendrick Bourne for 75 yards on the following play with Diggs in coverage. It was a truly special play: gutsy as any play he’d made all year. But he left 2:11 on the clock for the Cowboys, who managed to tie the game, send it to overtime and win

… Read More

What it means that Mac Jones almost outdueled Tom Brady in Patriots’ loss

By Elsie A. Dotson 3 weeks ago


Commentary

Jones looked like the better quarterback in his “duel” with Brady on Sunday. But how much of a moral victory can Patriots fans really take from that?

Mac Jones Patriots
Mac Jones reacts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

As Mac Jones said after Sunday’s deflating loss to Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers in primetime, he’s not really into the concept of “moral victories.”

The weight of the Patriots’ 1-3 start seemed to fall on the rookie as he sat with his head down on the New England bench after Nick Folk’s go-ahead, 56-yard field goal clanged off the left upright at Gillette Stadium like a death knell to his team’s chance of winning the game.

He’s not used to losing this much. He certainly didn’t go 1-3 at any point at Alabama.

But if there’s a silver lining to what the Patriots have gone through this

… Read More

Reframe Patriots quarterback competition into quarterback combination

By Elsie A. Dotson 3 months ago

2 Minute Drill: Reframe Patriots quarterback competition into quarterback combination



This is sportscenter 5 2 minute drill. The patriots are facing a multiple choice question at quarterback. Do they go with a cam Newton or be MAC jones? What if the right answer is c all the above. The patriots don’t have a clear cut quarterback solution right now, both Newton and jones have their strengths and come with question marks. So the answer could be collaborative quarterbacking, don’t call it quarterback by committee. This would fly in the face of NFL convention. Now the old saw goes that if you have two Q. B. S, you really don’t have one. But if there were ever a coach that wouldn’t care about bucking conventional wisdom or the second guessing that comes with tandem QB play, it would be Bill

… Read More

New England Patriots QB Cam Newton says Mac Jones is ‘cool’

By Elsie A. Dotson 3 months ago
via

July 30, 2021, 9:19 PM

3 min read

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Cam Newton said he is still getting to know rookie Mac Jones as they compete for the New England Patriots starting quarterback job, but in sharing his first impression, he cited a phrase made famous by late ESPN SportsCenter anchor Stuart Scott.

“Cool, like the other side of the pillow,” Newton said Friday. “You never know when he’s really down on himself. You don’t really necessarily know when he’s up, either. He’s real cool.”

Newton, 32, said that Jones has even surprised him with his knowledge of hip-hop.

All of which had Jones, 22, laughing after practice.

“That’s a nice compliment. I’d say the same about Cam,” said Jones, the Patriots’ first-round draft pick from the University of Alabama

… Read More