With Cam Newton out, Mac Jones can make lasting impression

The New England Patriots will be without Cam Newton for the first three days of practice this week. The absence gives Mac Jones an opportunity to shine.

The New England Patriots have had a good summer and have made strides in the preseason. Coming into the team’s training camp, the story was the potential quarterback competition between Cam Newton and Mac Jones. Bill Belichick would disagree and has constantly stated publicly put support behind Newton.

While no person may truly know what is going on in Belichick’s head, it can be said that neither quarterback has been head and shoulders above the other. Newton looked good in the team’s last preseason game against Philadelphia, and it looked like he could have done enough to lock up the starting job for at least the beginning of the season.

Things changed when the news came out today that Newton will be sidelined from participating with the team until Thursday. In what the team has described as a misunderstanding, Cam violated NFL and NFLPA approved protocols for COVID-19 testing. He now has a five-day waiting period before he can return to the team facility. The Patriots made it clear that the five-day period allows Newton to return on Thursday, Aug. 26.

Mac Jones now has an open door to potentially seize the New England Patriots starting job.

The good news for Mac Jones and his supporters is that this will give him a chance to shine on his own. With Newton absent, the most likely scenario is that Jones will get the majority if not all of the first-team reps during practice on Monday through Wednesday. This will include the first of two joint practices with the New York Giants on Wednesday.

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This is important because Jones has only been fortunate enough to get a 50/50 split at best during training camp and the preseason. Last week when the team participated in joint practices with the Eagles, Newton had the majority of reps with the first-team offense.

Bill Belichick often gives more weight to performances during joint practices than he does the actual preseason game itself. Now Jones could potentially have at least one joint practice to himself and with it, the opportunity to show the coaches that he is ready to be the starter on day one.

Although he has not lit the world on fire, Jones has shown an understanding of the offense that few players have been capable of this early into their time with the Patriots. He sometimes seems to be mentally ahead of Newton, but the team might be worried about his lack of experience at the pro level.

If Jones is able to earn the starting nod in the first game against the Dolphins, this week may go a long way to having made that happen. He will be allowed to make mistakes while also being able to take advantage of any hot streaks he may experience. He also will be surrounded by the team’s offensive starters instead of the second unit. He will be tested by the starting defensive unit and he can show not just what he could be, but also what he is and is ready to do on the football field.