Belichick, Patriots ready to pounce
Tom Brady won his Super Bowl with the Buccaneers. Now it’s Bill Belichick’s turn.
There isn’t enough noise right now about what’s happening this summer in New England.
The Patriots look good. They look very good. Back to the playoffs good.
Provided they get steady quarterback play.
That’s what made rookie Mac Jones’ masterful Wednesday practice against the Giants most intriguing, on Cam Newton’s final day in quarantine due to covid-19 protocols.
For one day, the No. 15 overall pick of April’s draft had complete command.
“Mac Jones? I thought he was a good quarterback and had a strong arm,” top Giants corner James Bradberry said Friday. “The deep ball he threw the first day, [a 50yard TD pass to Jakobi Meyers in double coverage], that was a pretty good ball. Even the deep ball he threw when I got double-moved [by Gunner Olszewski before a pass breakup], it was a really [well]placed ball. He’s got some really good accuracy, good touch. Good quarterback.”
Maybe Belichick will start the veteran Newton in Week 1 anyway, despite a “level of frustration internally” with the quarterback’s covid-19 protocol violations, per NFL Network.
But seeing Jones shine was eye-opening considering the strength of the rest of the roster.
The offensive line of Isaiah Wynn, Michael Onwenu, David Andrews, Shaq Mason and Trent Brown is going to be one of the best in football. Dont’a Hightower, Matt Judon and Josh Uche comprise a formidable edge group.
The secondary is a perennial strength, even with Stephon Gilmore’s contract situation unresolved, bolstered by last week’s trade for Ravens rookie Shaun Wade.
Belichick answered Brady’s championship and New England’s first losing season since 2000 with an unprecedented offseason spending spree. And so the skill positions will be solid, led by running back Damien Harris, and free agent wideout Nelson Agholor and tight end Jonnu Smith.
The six-time Super Bowl winning head coach was characteristically understated about his team’s mid-week dominance.
“There are a number of things we need to do better,” Belichick said Thursday.
He downplayed Jones’ strong practice as part of his team’s “good learning experiences,” even if the rookie’s teammates were more effusive with their praise.
“[Jones] makes a [play] call and I’m like, ‘Man, there’s no way I would have made that call as a rookie quarterback,’ ” third-string QB Brian Hoyer said. “Just to have the confidence and knowledge to go out there and execute it.”
Hightower said he was impressed that Jones had taken the initiative to study and learn the Patriots defense, just to understand their concepts of operation.
“I’ll give him credit for that because not a lot of young guys would see that as an opportunity and he did that on his own,” Hightower said. “The kid works hard. I’ll leave it at that.”
Belichick also admitted that Jones had a big opportunity to state his case with Newton sidelined, and the kid delivered.
He completed 22 of 26 passes in Wednesday’s full-team period, per The Providence Journal, including a stretch of 18 consecutive completions across the entire practice, per The Athletic. And his less-than-perfect Thursday was still good — just compromised by several receiver drops and a Logan Ryan interception.
“It’s just something that I obviously want to do,” Jones said. “Everyone wants to take first-team reps … It was great and we communicated, and I felt like we were in a really good flow. I kind of got into like a game flow.”
Why the Patriots are being overlooked nationally at the moment is a mystery.
Of course, the Kansas City Chiefs are the class of the AFC, and the Buffalo Bills in-division are considered one step away from stealing that crown.
But no one should ignore the chip on Belichick’s shoulder, the big spending New England did this offseason and the championship pedigree still sprinkled around this formidable roster.
In 2021, the Patriots will be back.