Patriots: No way Bill Belichick tries two-QB system with Mac Jones and Cam Newton
By Mike Luciano
The New England Patriots might have a mini-QB controversy on their hands, as in addition to former MVP Cam Newton, Bill Belichick decided to use his first-round pick on Alabama’s Mac Jones, who will hopefully be the starter for the next decade in New England.
Belichick will need to figure how to make both of them succeed in his offense.
While Newton is arguably the greatest mobile quarterback of all time due to his superior running ability and comparatively strong arm, Jones is almost the polar opposite, as he is smaller, slower, and more likely to snipe teams from the pocket than make plays on the run.
The most likely scenario is that Newton will start the year under center, and the Patriots will boot him at the end of this season in order to put Jones in or during the middle of the season if Newton starts to falter.
One solution that would make no sense, however, is putting them both on the field at the same time.
NFL insider Benjamin Allbright claims that a former NFL front office decision-maker hinted that Belichick could use Jones as his quarterback between the 20s before switching to Newton in the red zone. If Bill does this, he’s lost the plot.
Interesting convo the other day with a former NFL front office guy about the POSSIBILITY of Belichick rolling out a 2 QB system if Mac Jones is ready.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) May 25, 2021
Using Mac between the 20's and Cam as a RZ/short yardage QB.
Unlikely most coaches would have the audacity to try it.
The Patriots must pick either Cam Newton or Mac Jones.
The NFL has tried this nonsense before, and it hasn’t worked in decades. The last successful two-QB system was Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin, who both made the Pro Bowl in the 1950s with the Los Angeles Rams. Sorry to disappoint, Bill, but it isn’t 1951 anymore.
The Dallas Cowboys once tried alternating Roger Staubach and Craig Morton every play before finally making the correct choice in Staubach. The Miami Dolphins swapped David Woodley and Don Strock before ditching the charade and adding Dan Marino. The Philadelphia Eagles put Randall Cunningham in for Ron Jaworski on third and long before finally settling on Cunningham.
Jones will have to play eventually, but throwing him out there for half of the game in an offense designed around Newton is a good way to throw his natural development off of a cliff. 2021 should be a redshirt year for Jones, as he needs to translate from a very basic Steve Sarkisian playbook to a complex Josh McDaniels encyclopedia.
Belichick has tried some crazy things over the last few years, including turning the Pats offense into a single-wing look at times and thinking Jakobi Meyers is a No. 1 receiver. He’s smart enough to know that alternating these two would be a foolish idea, and keeping Jones on the bench is the best move.
