NBC Sports Boston Reacts right as the news breaks
View: https://twitter.com/NBCSBoston/status/1432712871327248388
View: https://twitter.com/NBCSBoston/status/1432712871327248388
Cam Newton signs with Carolina
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I’m still in shock about this. I have really hoped this would happen but didn’t think Bill thought the same. Even if Mac really struggles this year it’ll be so much more compelling to watch as a fan.
He had under 100 yards passing 4 times last year, which is remarkable. It's never going to be a fair comparison, but Brady was under 100 yards passing just twice in the last 14 years: 2014 when he was pulled at halftime in week 17 against Buffalo, and week 1 in 2008 when he tore his ACL in the first half. It was easy to rationalize it away (he's still recovering from injury, he's recovering from Covid, he makes up for it with his legs, his pass catchers are garbage) and while there were kernels of truth in all of that, it's hard to look at a guy past his prime who had a 3 week stretch with just 272 total passing yards (in 2020!) and say that this guy can start for a playoff team. Glad to be past that.
Also, because of all of the Niners' smokescreening around the draft, which they are VERY proud of, the SF media is keeping a very close eye on Mac.
How amazing would it be if, after all of the years of Brady vs. Belichick arguments, Brady went out and won a SB with a new coach and team, and then the following year Belichick goes out and wins a SB with a rookie QB?
Yes, this is a big one. If Lance is a bust and Mac becomes a star, there will be a lot of teeth-gnashing over the fact that not only did SF pick the wrong guy, but also that they gave up a lot to get him.
Just wanted to point out that posting this as factual information is fine, it's part of the story.
Any discussion of the personal decision any player makes regarding vaccination, no matter how one may feel about it, can only be had in V&N, however. The consequences of ignoring this very clear policy will be severe going forward. I'd rather not see them happen.
I've seen that, and also I'm in an area filled with Broncos fans. It's going to be fucking hilarious if Jones and Fields end up being clearly the best of the class. And I suppose the same goes for the anguish of Jets fans if Jones runs laps around Zach Wilson.
There's no better scenario than a 45-42 Patriots victory over the Bucs in the Superbowl with both QBs throwing six TDs. (Like, just imagine, Brady leads some 90 yard drive down 38-35 and caps with a TD to Gronk to take the lead, and then Jones leads a two minute drill and throws a TD as the clock expires to win it. It's pure fantasy and is absolutely not going to happen anywhere but my wildest dreams, but, shit, just imagine...) It would be the ultimate vindication that it was both Brady and Belichick being the best ever to do what they did.
LFG. All along the question hasn't been whether Cam could keep the job but when and whether Mac looked ready and to have this happen so early is just a massive endorsement from BB and McDaniels. I think it also speaks really strongly to Mac's standing among the rest of the team. Cam was not only a popular guy in the locker room but a player clearly respected by other players for what he has accomplished on the field during his career. I doubt BB pulls this move unless he sensed the the team believed in Mac enough to close ranks behind him despite all that.
Going to be a long 11 days.
Going to be a long 11 days.
Yes. Though to be fair, he will make the decision he feels is best even if the rest of the team hates it. If I recall, the team was pissed and befuddled by the Malcolm Butler benching in the SB. But yeah, seems hard to believe he isn't reading the room on this one.
Beyond the obvious - simply not having to watch Cam Newton suck at QB anymore - the other benefit of today's move is that I no longer have to try and square what my eyes were seeing on the field with the idea that Bill Belichick was still choosing to play Cam. It was impossible to watch it, see how bad it was, know Bill Belichick is a football genius, and still have him trot Cam out there every week. I don't know if my tiny brain could have taken that cognitive dissonance for X more weeks.
I have been anticipating this very post, in this very thread for a while now. Do we still get "SoSH Genius" t-shirts for correct guesses?
Random thought, but does this put to rest any concerns about Mac's use of a knee brace? I don't know Bill could name him the starter and release Cam with a knee that could use a few weeks to heal up. The preventative use of the brace seems a bit more plausible in this context since we don't have an explicit answer either way.
I'm pumped up! I wish Mac had gotten some play with the starters in the preseason games, but I guess it's true that Belichick puts a lot of stock in the joint practices. This is an(other) exciting time to be a Pats fan - love it.
All jokes aside, I'm really happy to be wrong. I didnt want to watch anymore lame duck throws.
I'm ready for the Mac era.
I'm ready for the Mac era.
Immediately bought tickets upon the news. Both teams are favored in all 3 games to start the year...
This is going to be a really interesting team on offense and defense.
Or you can simply base your opinion on what actually went on during practices and in the games.
I thought Zack Cox over on NESN.com put it quite succinctly (elaborating a little bit more on the Jeff Howe tweet in RedOctober3829"s post #56):
Link
I knew that teams often showed vanilla looks in preseason games, but didn't realize they were more likely to show their true hand in joint practices. Obviously Bill knows that. So Mac probably got a lot more real competition, with NEP's starters, in joint practices than in an actual preseason game.
At the very least, it feels good as a fan to be past our rebound hook-up and on to something with a lot more potential.
October 3rd is going to be a mini-Superbowl of sorts, isn't it?
Yep. I am a super casual fan at this point (tuned in to more TB games than Pats games last season) but I will definitely tune in for a few early season games after this move.
That would be the best closure to the best coach/QB duo of all time.
I’m so thrilled about this
Don't worry, he's already writing his column for the Bucs/Patriots game; you know, for when the sly old master comes here and shows Belichick, Kraft and Jones he's still got it and what a huge mistake they made letting him go.
The jackass.
Are both teams favored in all games? I see Pats as even vs NO and Rams favored by 1 over Bucs.
Which is fine, for folks have been doing so all along and not those trying to give themselves a pat on the back after the fact
Not talking about you, obviously
Bonus to see Shaughnessy get "Borges"'d. Can't wait to see the annual draggings of that quote into the SOSH public square.
So, do the Patriots need another QB?
Stidham is hurt and Hoyer is subject to the longer covid protocols and I think that tends to leave them without a safety net. When they potentially had two QBs subject to the longer protocols at least there were some redundancies but what is the one week emergency plan now? Edelman out of retirement?
Stidham is hurt and Hoyer is subject to the longer covid protocols and I think that tends to leave them without a safety net. When they potentially had two QBs subject to the longer protocols at least there were some redundancies but what is the one week emergency plan now? Edelman out of retirement?
What also seemed obvious - both before and after Cam's COVID -- was that BB knew that the 2 backups were not likely to be any better. That, as much as anything else, was the determining factor in who played. "Best chance to win" didn't necessarily mean "good chance to win."
This would trigger a shit storm of truly epic proportions, and ultimately lead to job losses.
Back to Pats though, wow I just didn’t see this happening in week 1. Really thought the opportunity would present for Mac around week 4 or 5, and we’d never look back.
Guess it really was a QB competition after all.
Dolegala or whoever else they sign to be on the practice squad. Does any team in the NFL have a good third option at QB? At that point you're pretty much screwed.
I'd say there are few to no teams with "good" 3rd QBs, though some have high upside young guys.
On the other hand, I think quite a few teams have 3rd QBs at least as good as Hoyer, and I can't think of a team with a worse #2 than Hoyer.
Patriots need a real backup.
Ditto this for emphasis. Let's not be jackasses.
Jets fans already expect this. They know that they drafted the wrong guy, whoever it was, because the Jets always draft the wrong guy. They deserve credit for self-awareness at least.
Considering that Brady was widely reported to be deeply upset with Antonio Brown's release, I suspect the receivers had no say at all.
Only counterpoint is Hoyer is sort of a QB 3 in QB 2 clothing. Ideally we could find someone that would allow HIM to slide back to QB 3. But I know that is unlikely.
No way I am getting back to sleep now… LFG!
Was the Hoyer thing actually confirmed? I didn't see that reported by a reputable source.
Actually, sorry I didn't do any independent research. I was taking it as a given just based on comments here on SOSH but I didn't know that it might not be true. Sorry, I should have done some research. I was just assuming and didn't even know there was doubt. A very quick google search right now suggests that maybe the people who have been saying it are all just repeating the same original source, except I did find one mention by Curran that Hoyer was masked and "may" not be vaccinated. But, yeah, that's pretty far from any sort of confirmation.
https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/no-excuse-cam-newtons-covid-related-patriots-absence
D'OH! Was reading this from July
https://www.si.com/nfl/49ers/news/2021-san-francisco-49ers-roster-preview-quarterback
He actually got waived today.
He might be an interesting option, he looked pretty good for a guy who had been rostered 5 days when he played for ATL in their last pre-season game.
Huh, just read an Atlantic article saying he made the 53-man. Things change fast
In addition to wanting someone who can play if he needs to at a replacement level in the NFL, you'd ideally also like a vet in the room who can help Mac during the ups and downs and who has taken snaps in the NFL in enough circumstances to be relevant. I guess that's a tough ask, and maybe Hoyer fits that bill as well as can be expected.
Actually looks like you're right. I saw earlier they were going to release him. Must have switched it up