Newton and Jones overshadow dominant run game, quiet Pats’ D-line concerns
Preseason beatdowns don’t get much more thorough than that.
The Patriots throttled the Eagles’ backups Thursday night, steamrolling them for 486 offensive yards, while yielding just 163 on defense. Cam Newton and Mac Jones both starred, and yet the Pats’ running backs and offensive linemen were most responsible for the 35-0 show in South Philly. With one exhibition to go, the coaching staff can feel confident the team identity imagined this offseason, when Bill Belichick rebuilt his roster into a power-running, defensive outfit, is slowly coming to life.
Here’s what the film revealed about the Patriots’ second preseason win.
Cam Newton: 8/9, 103 yards, TD
The best part of Newton’s performance wasn’t his skyhigh completion percentage or maneuvering within messy pockets. It was his eyes.
Newton routinely looked downfield for aggressive
throws, opting for checkdowns only when they became his best and/or only option. He bypassed open receivers underneath on his four longest completions of the night. Newton exploited all the widest holes in the Eagles’ zone coverage, and capitalized on the time he was afforded against their second-string D-line, usually thanks to max protection.
There’s now little reason to believe Newton won’t start the season opener.
Mac Jones: 13/19, 146 yards
And yet as impressive as Newton was, the kid was just as good.
Facing a hodgepodge of Eagles’ backups and backups to those backups, Jones dominated his two quarters of play. He threw accurately to all three levels and demonstrated impressive nuance, moving second-level defenders with a shake of his shoulders or his eyes before throwing behind them. Jones also overcame two holding penalties to lead a 91yard scoring drive on his first series.
Half of his incompletions were drops, and another was a spike, giving him a ridiculous 89% catchable pass rate.
LB Matt Judon
One strip sack, a drawn hold and a fiercely set edge that led to a short rushing game. For the second
straight week, Judon was a menace within a small stretch of play. The Pats’ highest-paid defender ever is living up to his paycheck.
RB Rhamondre Stevenson
No, the Patriots won’t tolerate more fumbles, like the one Stevenson coughed up in the fourth quarter.
But yes, absolutely and beyond any doubt, the rookie’s performance Thursday should be celebrated.
As he gets a better hold on ball security, Stevenson’s already proved he possesses what most running backs can’t learn: a knack for breaking tackles. He shed 10 would-be tacklers in Philly. Ten!
Somehow, the 230-pound rookie can both look like a
featherweight on his feet, and then morph into a bull when he lowers his shoulder. If it weren’t for a crowded backfield, he could be penciled in for significant snaps this season. LB Harvey Langi
Langi didn’t lead the Pats in tackles, like he did against Washington last week. He did even better, topping all teammates in big plays.
Langi secured one sack, a hurry, a diving interception and defended the intended receiver on the Patriots’ other pick. The coaching staff is trusting him to play on and off the ball, and contribute on special teams. He’s nearing lock status for the final 53.
K Quinn Nordin
Three missed kicks — including two extra points — felt like a death knell for Nordin’s chances to win the kicking job. He swung all three misses wide right around one made field goal and another PAT.
TE Devin Asiasi
The second-year tight end held the greatest opportunity of his young career in his hands — and let it slip. Asiasi dropped his only target and runblocked to below-average success. He is continuing to return from a bout with COVID-19, which wiped out his first two weeks of training camp, but the Pats are lucky neither Jonnu Smith or Hunter Henry is dealing with a serious injury.