Cam Newton placed a ball poorly to N’Keal Harry on a slant route Wednesday during Day 7 of New England Patriots training camp. But Harry dove to make an athletic play, potentially saving Newton from an interception. It was similar to another slight overthrow from Newton to tight end Jonnu Smith on Day 6. Rather than watching the ball fall out of bounds, Newton celebrated as Smith jumped to snag the ball and tapped his toes in-bounds for the acrobatic catch.
That’s what feels different during the early days of training camp. There was so much debate in 2020 as to whether the woes for New England’s passing offense were due to the chicken (Newton) or the egg (the skill players). We may never get an answer. Or, at the very least, we may have a new debate: Which party is more responsible for the team’s resurgence?
If the Patriots do enjoy a bounce-back year in the passing game, it will mean Newton is at the center. And offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has confidence a better version of Newton will appear in 2021.
“I see it. You can just see it. You hear it,” McDaniels said Wednesday after an up-and-down practice from Newton.
Tuesday’s padded practice was Newton’s best session of training camp. With the team wearing pads and beginning to introduce contact, Newton made good work of play action to get the ball to tight ends Hunter Henry and Smith along with receivers Nelson Agholor and Harry. His timing and accuracy looked better than in 2020.
“He just knows much more about what we’re doing,” McDaniels said. “It’s a lot less new learning every day, more repetition of things he already understands. … There were things I was telling him to do last year that he didn’t quite understand, but I was telling him, ‘Hey, do it this way. Try and do it that way. Make him the Mike, whatever.’ He was trying to do everything I said. Now, he actually understands the ‘why’ on most things.
“That is really the goal for the quarterbacks — when you’re out there trying to read defenses on a play-to-play basis, if you don’t understand why we’re doing something or why you’re supposed to make the protection slide here or there, it’s a tough position to play. The game has slowed down for him. The offense makes a lot of sense. Like I said, there’s a lot less new learning for him.”
Newton is entrenched in a position battle with rookie Mac Jones, the Patriots’ draft pick at 15th overall. If Newton plans to win the job — and keep it throughout the year — he’ll have to elevate his game well beyond what he did in 2020, an underwhelming season for both Newton and New England.
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