Patriots: Shannon Sharpe doubling down on Mac Jones-Cam Newton take is trash

The desperation double down. We’ve all been there. But when you’re someone in the spotlight, you simply have to take the L, especially when it’s obvious to the average viewer.

For Undisputed’s Shannon Sharpe, now’s the time to dial it back.

During the Sunday Night Football matchup between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sharpe echoed his already-controversial take about Cam Newton. But he picked the wrong time to do it.

First of all, we’re not sitting here claiming the Patriots’ offense is perfect, but it’s safe to say we have a pretty good idea what it would look like with Newton under center … and many fans prefer the version with rookie Mac Jones and the strides he’s made from the jump even without knowing what Newton could potentially do with new weapons and another year learning the playbook.

Shannon Sharpe doubling down on his Patriots’ take about Mac Jones and Cam Newton.

Mr. Sharpe … you literally are the only one. Not too long after Sharpe hit the “send” button, Jones completed 19 straight passes, which tied Brady’s record as a Patriot.

Though New England ended up losing 19-17, Jones out-dueled Brady from a passing perspective. Check out the numbers:

• Brady: 22-of-49 for 269 yards
• Jones: 31-of-40 for 275 yards, two touchdowns and one interception

Better completion percentage, more yards and more touchdowns. He also put the Patriots in field goal range with under a minute to go and nearly gave them a chance to win the game, but Nick Folk’s 56-yard field goal hit the upright.

Did we mention the Patriots had -1 rushing yards on the evening? Jones was constantly forced to drop back and pass, the Bucs knew it was coming, and he still managed to be efficient and accurate in the pouring rain … something Brady wasn’t able to say for himself. Meanwhile, Jones was also under consistent pressure and was sacked four times to Brady’s one.

There are always going to be growing pains with a rookie quarterback as well as free agent additions, all of whom are learning a new offensive system and playbook. The Patriots felt moving forward with Jones wouldn’t have been as much of a risk given all the circumstances, and he’d likely reach a point in a few weeks where he’d be matching (or exceeding) Newton’s expected output.

It’s hard to disagree with their decision, too, since Newton had just three games in 2020 throwing for 274 yards or more. Jones has already shown a grasp for the offense, an ability to get rid of the ball quickly, and has put the Patriots in a position to win three out of his first four starts. A couple of unlucky bounces have changed the narrative, but the big picture remains intact.

Sharpe might want to pull his chips back because this doesn’t seem like a winning hand for him.

Patriots: Refs came so close to spoiling Tom Brady’s return to Foxborough

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers edged the New England Patriots by a score of 19-17 and the refs nearly tilted this one the other way at the end.