Newton’s progress, Stidham’s injury affect QB race

[aubiefifty 16,760]

al.com

 

Newton’s progress, Stidham’s injury affect QB race

By Mark Inabinett | minabinett@al.com

6-8 minutes

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The New England Patriots kick off their 2020 season in 19 days. They have not named a starting quarterback.

“We’re just working through it day-by-day,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said during an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show” on Monday. “We have a long way to go, but we’re taking steps and we’ve got a very competitive competition at that very competitive position at the quarterback spot, and it’ll be interesting to see how everybody does.”

Everybody in this case would be Brian Hoyer, an opening-game starter in three of his 11 NFL seasons; Cam Newton, the NFL MVP for the 2015 season and the QB with the most rushing touchdowns in league history; and Jarrett Stidham, a second-year player who served as Tom Brady’s backup as a rookie. Newton and Stidham are Auburn alumni.

Brady’s departure from the Patriots after 20 seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency in March left New England looking for a starting quarterback after years of stability.

While the Patriots coaches toe the it’s-a-competition line, the practice report from training camp on New England’s official website was headlined “Newton taking control” on Sunday. And maybe that’s partly due to something else the Patriots coaches don’t talk about – Stidham’s health

According to media reports, New England had Stidham at a hospital on Thursday for tests on a hip injury that could take several weeks to overcome. But Stidham still practiced on Friday, although he participated only in some of the throwing drills and not the team portion of the workouts.

“Coach held him today,” Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said after Friday’s practice about the reports of Stidham’s injury. “But I’m pretty sure he’ll be out there ready to roll next time we practice.”

The next practice was on Sunday, when Newton was “taking control,” according to the Patriots’ website.

While New England coaches aren’t talking about the Patriots’ QB depth chart or Stidham’s injury, they are talking about Newton’s progress.

“He’s an extremely hard-working player,” Belichick told Eisen. “First guy in, last one out type of guy. He really has studied hard and tried to and he has spent a lot of extra time trying to learn our offense, our communication, our calls, nomenclature and so forth. I’ve been very impressed with that. He’s done a good job of picking it up. He’s a very skilled athlete. …

“It’s been fun to work with him. He’s a very talented player with a unique skill set, and, again, we’ll see where it all goes. But he’s got a lot to work with.”

Released by the Carolina Panthers in March after playing only two games in 2019 because of a foot injury, Newton didn’t sign his one-year deal with New England until after the Patriots had completed their online offseason program.

“I think he’s really busted his butt to try to learn and grow each day that he’s been with us,” McDaniels said. “There’s absolutely no shortcut to really going through it and repping it in practice and seeing it and calling it and reacting in full speed on the field to different situations.”

New England quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch said Newton was making improvements “on a daily basis” that “some other guy who’s been in the system for a few years may make on a monthly basis.”

Fisch also said Newton makes practice fun.

“Obviously, Cam is going to stand out because you hear him, you see him,” Fisch said during an appearance on “The Greg Hill Show” on WEEI-FM in Boston. “He certainly loves the game, but it really feels to me when Cam runs out onto the practice field, it’s truly recess for him. It’s the opportunity to go play.

“We all remember when we were kids and the bell rang, we got to go outside and take a break from the work and go play. That is kind of the feeling I get from Cam every time he comes out here. It’s a happy place, and I think that’s great.”

Belichick caused a stir last week with his answer to this question: “If you have two quarterbacks with different skill sets, might (playing both) benefit the team?”

“It might,” Belichick said. “Look, I always say I’ll do what I think is best for the team, what gives us the best chance to win. Whatever that is, I would certainly consider that. If it’s run an unbalanced line or double-unbalanced line or 23 personnel or whatever it is, if it helps us win, then I would consider anything.”

But in the same press conference, Belichick put away the hypothetical and said at “some point” the Patriots would have one quarterback take most of the practice reps to prepare for the season-opening game. But that point has not arrived.

“Right now, we want to try to, like I said, give everybody an opportunity to get the basics,” Belichick said, “and we’re really doing that at all the positions. I mean, everybody’s rotating through and we’re trying to give everybody an opportunity to run the basic plays, get the basic fundamentals down. Yeah, of course at some point we’ll have to not equalize the reps. I mean, that’s obvious. But we’re not there now.”

New England Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham passes at training camp on Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Foxborough, Mass.AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

I'm not a betting man, but if I were, my money would be on Cam.  Stidham's a good QB, but Cam is a freak of nature, a whole 'nother beast.

[Zeek 16,649]

On 8/26/2020 at 6:00 PM, CleCoTiger said:

I'm not a betting man, but if I were, my money would be on Cam.  Stidham's a good QB, but Cam is a freak of nature, a whole 'nother beast.

This. Coaches love to smokescreen but Cam has likely been QB1 since week 1.