‘Mac’s a baller’: Why Cam Newton believes we haven’t ‘seen the perfect model of Mac Jones but’

Patriots

Whereas Newton is a believer in Jones, he additionally famous that he has to chop again on throwing interceptions, too.

Cam Newton stood up for the quarterback that changed him in New England. Matthew J Lee/Globe workers

Cam Newton is preaching persistence for the person that succeded him in New England.

The previous Patriots quarterback nonetheless has excessive hopes for Mac Jones amid the third-year quarterback’s struggles. Showing on former NFL quarterback and ESPN NFL analyst Robert Griffin III’s “RG3 and the Ones” podcast, Newton shared how he acquired to know Jones through the few months they spent collectively forward of the 2021 season earlier than the veteran was launched.

“Man, Mac’s a baller, bro. And I noticed this hands-on,” Newton stated. “Final employee, final competitor. He acquired that Alabama in him, so it’s like you may’t crack the code typically. You be like, ‘Loosen up, bro. We simply attempting to be teammates.’ However it’s what it’s. Now, taking part in in Boston is a distinct beast, bro. And I used to be taking part in there within the COVID yr, so I didn’t even see a crowd more often than not I used to be there.”

Due to that, Newton thinks Jones can battle again from his tough Week 4 outing and underwhelming play because the begin of final season.

“Listening to the sports activities reporters, the information retailers this and that, man, [Bill] Belichick has been capable of handle it the perfect he is aware of how,” Newton stated. “Does he hearken to it? He most likely does.

“However on the identical time, I don’t suppose we’ve seen the perfect model of Mac Jones but. It’s rising pains, however that in the end comes right down to the teaching workers and what have you ever.”

Newton’s sharing his perception in Jones got here after Griffin requested him if he thought the Patriots starter ought to be benched. Griffin, who stated the Patriots have been committing “malpractice” with Jones earlier within the week, agreed with Newton, saying the workforce is asking an excessive amount of from him and citing low utilization of play-action passes as a pair of causes.

However each agreed that Jones wants to chop again on the turnovers. He had three within the Patriots’ loss to the Cowboys final week, throwing two interceptions and dropping a fumble. A type of interceptions got here on an across-the-field move, resulting in a pick-6 for DaRon Bland. Jones’s fumble led to a scoop-and-score for the Cowboys as effectively.

“I can simply say this for Mac Jones, and being there, I understand how a lot of a degree of emphasis it’s to guard the soccer. He has some ugly interceptions,” Newton stated. ” … These are simply unforced errors. That was simply you figuring out higher, however you’re nonetheless attempting to make a play. I used to be watching the sport after they performed Philly. He acquired strip-sacked. He didn’t see it, however simply these turnovers. New England, over the last decade of successful has all the time managed the ball and the turnover ratio.”

Jones has had stretches the place he’s been clear with the ball. Late final season, Jones had an eight-game stretch the place he solely threw one interception earlier than throwing three picks of their season-finale loss to the Payments. He threw an interception in every of the Patriots’ first two video games of the season as effectively, giving him 4 on the season following Week 4.

Jones has thrown for 898 yards and 5 touchdowns along with the 4 interceptions, giving him an 80.8 passer ranking this season. He has the Eleventh-worst interception proportion within the league this season, posting a 2.7 interception proportion by way of the primary 4 video games.