Spotlight will remain on Patriots QBS at Philadelphia

Forget about cheesesteak competitions, that’s put on the back burner for one more day in Philadelphia as quarterback conversations are at the top of the menu.

Following a pair of physical and punishing joint practices, the Eagles will host the Patriots for one more day of competitive combativeness Thursday night in the second exhibition game for both clubs.

With one less preseason tilt on the docket this year, the game likely will see the projected starters get a lot more snaps than they did in the opener, when most veterans made just brief appearances.

Patriots quarterbacks Cam Newton and Mac Jones shrugged off sluggish Monday practices to turn in sterling efforts Tuesday, and they will look to build off those performances when things speed up even more for the game.

Newton remains the presumptive starter, and it has felt all along that the plan was to simultaneously prepare Newton for the now and Jones for the future, and that will continue against Philadelphia.

Newton, now in his 11th NFL season, has taken the first reps throughout training camp and has been playing behind the projected starting offensive line. Jones has gotten some run with the first-teamers — including several series Tuesday during red zone drills — but has mostly played with the second unit.

Bill Belichick was quick to point out that reading too much into who is playing with whom is unproductive.

“We told all the players from back in May when we started, which is the absolute truth, not to spend a lot of time worrying about who else is out there with you,” said the coach. “Worry about what you’re doing and try to get it right.”

Expect Newton to play more than the two series he saw against Washington, perhaps even the entire first half. Jones, who ran five series in the opener (not including the kneel-down right before halftime), would get the call for the second half.

Giants: Familiar face awaits

The Giants will be holding joint practices with the Browns ahead of the two teams’ preseason game Sunday, meaning a dayslong reunion with Odell Beckham Jr.

“He’s just excited to see us and see his boys,” Sterling Shepard said. “That’s pretty much all we’ve been talking about.”

Shepard said he and Saquon Barkley worked out with Beckham in Arizona in the offseason, and added he likes the extra wrinkle joint practices provide.

“It just gives you different looks,” he said. “You get tired of seeing the same guys every day and it helps you with having to mix things up. But just to get a different look and different guys’ skill sets around the league is going to help you get better ultimately, too.”

Meanwhile, owner John Mara said that he’s still pleased more than two years removed from the trade, which brought Jabrill Peppers to the Giants, along with the two draft picks they used for Oshane Ximines and Dexter Lawrence.

“I think it’s a trade that will work out well for both sides,” he said. “Obviously, the players that we added have been big contributors for us.”

Meanwhile Giants coach Joe Judge still would not reveal a timeline for Barkley’s return from the knee injury that cost him most of 2020 but said he’s happy with his running back’s progress.

“We’re going to go ahead and keep progressing him, do a few more things,” Judge said. “You’ll see him out here today doing a little more than he did last week.”