Cosmic Clock Management
If it were the turn of the century again, and Bill Belichick was going on 50, it's my belief Cam Newton would be New England's starting quarterback today, with Mac Jones getting to stand next to Bill on the sidelines to absorb knowledge in the time-honored means of grooming a promising rookie quarterback.
But it's 2021, and Belichick's going on 70, not 50. And I think that's one of the main reasons Jones is the Patriots' starting quarterback and Newton is reviewing his (few and poor) options for future employment after being released this morning. The coach feels time's winged chariot signaling the two-minute warning on his career. If he doesn't want to leave the Pats' franchise without stabilizing its long-term quarterback situation, and he doesn't, why screw around with some "transition" period that's bound to end with Jones in and Newton out? That'd only cut down on the future time Belichick can spend noodling about in his boat on Nantucket Sound with his sweetie. Cut to the chase and see what happens.
Let me add that if Newton's refusal to be vaccinated against covid played a part in Belichick's decision, the coach is to be congratulated on football as well as social grounds. The first duty of the veteran bridge quarterback (even if Newton had played well last season, that's all he'd ever be) is to not make waves. Flirting with covid was a cannonball into the kiddie pool.
But Newton was always destined to be former Pats' quarterback before the holiday season. The Patriots would never ever ever have drafted a quarterback in the first round if they didn't think said QB would replace Newton, hopefully before Columbus Day. No NFL teams take that risk unless they are seriously unhappy with the quarterbacks they have. Almost every first round QB winds up as his team's starter before the end of his rookie season (Aaron Rodgers was the one notable exception). That Belichick decided to expedite that process to its ultimate extreme, making Jones the Game One starter, is surprising only to those who don't know how old the coach is or how NFL quarterbacking succession works. I will admit New Englanders have a very good reason for being kinda rusty on that last topic. But the reason's in Tampa now.
Releasing Newton rather than making him Jones' backup might seem harsh, but it was actually the humane move for all concerned parties except one, the guy who made the move. Newton now has two weeks to find a backup job where he WON'T be the man to replace Tom Brady. Don't tell me there's not one out there, not in a league where Carson Wentz and Sam Darnold, each of whom was demonstrably worse than Newton last season, got new starting jobs as their rewards.
Jones benefits as well. If he has the struggles all starting rookies who weren't Dan Marino have had, there's no well-liked veteran sitting on the bench to remind other veterans with just his presence how they feel about rookies. There's only Brian Hoyer. He also inherits a fan and media base desperate to persuade themselves that Jones has the stuff to lead the Pats back to glory. He will be judged on a very generous curve, because he is now all the Pats have got.
Is Jones worth all that hope? Beats me. He looked good in preseason. So did the other first round QB picks in the NFL, and we all know they won't all be Canton-bound, or even local car dealer ad bound. I read him as I have the other Alabama QB draftees in the Nick Saban era of the Tide, none of whom have become successes yet BTW. Jones has been coached as well as a college player can be. He was phenomenally productive for the finest college team in the land in 2020. But he was also in charge of an offense better than about half-a-dozen current NFL offenses. Certainly he had better wideouts last year than he will this season. So we'll see. If he's tough enough to not care he's always being compared to the best of all time at his job, Jones will have several legs up on success.
Belichick, on the other hand, doesn't necessarily stand to benefit from his elevation of Jones. I think it's a safe bet Jones will have a better 2021 than Newton did a 2020, but how much better? Better enough so that the coach can walk away from the franchise to his golden years with a clear conscience he hasn't screwed over his successor? Or just better enough that Belichick feels he must stick around to keep Jones on an upward trail? Bye-bye yacht, hello film room.
If those are the stakes, than Belichick's moves today make perfect sense. If he needs to find out ASAP if Jones is the quarterback answer he'll hand to his successor, than there can't be any ASAP sooner than Sept. 12, 2021 against the Dolphins. So do it. The worst that can happen is back to the drawing board next winter. That would be the case if Newton started 10, 5, or even just one game for the Pats this fall.
Time is a matter of perspective. A 50-year old coach sees it stretching out awhile. A 70-year old coach may have a different view, one a 70-year old retired sportswriter can understand.
posted by Michael Gee @ 12:25 PM
0 comments
