Patriots training camp notebook: Quarterbacks, Slip ‘N Slide highlight Day 4

Author Alex Barth

July 31st, 2021 1:57 PM

After telling reporters Saturday morning that Cam Newton is the Patriots’ starting quarterback, Bill Belichick seemed to hammer the point home with the distribution of snaps on Day 4 of training camp practice.

“Cam’s our starting quarterback,” Belichick said Saturday morning when asked about the competition. However, he left room for that standing to change before the start of the season when asked about how he goes about evaluating the quarterbacks.

“We’ll take a look at the whole situation. I don’t think you want to evaluate players at any position off of one or two plays, or maybe a day, so from a consistency standpoint that’s always important and obviously production, so hopefully those things will be good and I’m sure it’ll be a hard decision,” he explained. “We’ll see how it goes. Let them play and try to do what we feel like is best for the team based on their performance.”

On Saturday, there was plenty of chance for evaluation, with the two quarterbacks throwing a combined 46 passes. Newton dominated the reps for most of practice, getting about two snaps for every one taken by Mac Jones. It wasn’t until the final period of practice that Jones saw a heavier workload.

Newton finished the day 17-of-26, with one pass broken up by a defender. Jones was 14-of-20, with two PBUs. Brian Hoyer was 11-of-15, while Jake Dolegala participated in team drills for the first time and was 3-for-3.

Here’s more news and notes from Day 4 of Patriots training camp…

• Red zone up’s and down’s

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  A good chunk of the incompletions for both quarterbacks came on a red zone drill halfway through practice. The Newton/Jones led offense finished the period a combined 2-for-11, with Newton completing 2-of-7 attempts - one on a screen - and Mac Jones going 0-for-4. Joejuan Williams and Michael Jackson Sr. each had pass breakups in that window, and Davon Godchaux had an emphatic knockdown at the line of scrimmage, his second of camp so far.
  
  The next red zone session was much cleaner. The QB's combined to complete 6-of-9 passes, with multiple touchdowns to wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson.

• Defensive stat padding

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  Williams and Jackson weren't the only players to record pass breakups on Saturday. Adrian Phillips, Justin Bethel, Jalen Mills, and Ja'Whaun Bentley all knocked down passes at different points during practice.
  
  Up front, Rashod Berry recorded a 'sack' early on in 11-on-11's. It was Berry's third 'sack' of camp, with the second-year UDFA from Ohio State off to a strong start.

• Slip ‘N Slide day

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  Saturday was the annual Slip 'N Slide drill for the Patriots' rookies. After soaking a part of the field before practices, one of the team's veterans (today it was Matthew Slater) blasts rookies with a garden hose as they try to recover a loose football. The drill has become a staple of Patriots' training camp in recent years.
  
  "Honestly, it was fun. It was like a fun way to start off practice," third-round pick Ronnie Perkins said. "Just having everybody joking around and shooting water at us and having us dive in the puddle. It was just real fun. to see everybody in high spirits right before we got to work."
  
  "I got a little wet to begin the practice, but it was all fun and games," seventh-round pick Tre Nixon added. "It makes football fun."
• Agholor caps monster week

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  Nelson Agholor capped off what has been a fantastic first week with a few more highlight catches on Saturday. The 28-year-old appears to be picking up right where he left off after a career year with the Raiders in 2020.
  
  It was a strong week for the wide receivers all around. Kendrick Bourne seems to be turning into a volume target, and Jakobi Meyers isn't far behind. N'Keal Harry made another leaping touchdown grab on Saturday, and Wilkerson has begun to seemingly separate himself from the group of depth receivers.

• Taking attendance

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  After leaving Friday's practice early, Ted Karras wasn't present at Saturday's session. His injury isn't expected to be serious.
  
  Meanwhile, Anfernee Jennings made his 2021 debut after missing the first three days of camp due to a personal matter. Newly-signed offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins was in attendance as well.
  
  Speaking of attendance, Saturday saw the biggest crowd of any training camp practice so far. Fans filled the bleachers, with some being moved to standing-room only space on the ramps overlooking the practice fields.

• Looking ahead

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  The Patriots will be off on Sunday, with practices 5-8 scheduled for Monday-Thursday next week. They'll cap that week off with their first of two in-stadium practices on Friday. For more on next week's schedule, click here.
• Notable Quotables

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  J.C. Jackson on if he believes he is a No.1 cornerback: "Playing defensive back, man, you have to have that chip on your shoulder. You have to have that confidence. So that’s how I approach it every day."
  
  Sony Michel on last season's injuries: "Injuries come and go. It comes with the profession. It comes with the game. I take the good with the bad. I appreciate it. It helps me learn what I have to do to be a professional and that’s what I did."
  
  Gunner Olszewski on his relationship with the other wide receivers: "All the receivers in that room, Kendrick [Bourne], Nelly [Agholor], Devin Ross is back -- he was here last year -- KW [Wilkerson] was here with us all last year, Tre [Nixon]. Me, Kobs [Meyers] and N'Keal have been here since rookie year, wearing our No. 72, 69 and 50, so we kind of reminisce now. We haven't come that far, but it's cool to look back and see all of us still here."
  
  Ronnie Perkins on not being able to hit the quarterbacks in practice: "Really, it's not bad. It's just kind of funny because you'll be like 'bro I could have laid you out in a game.' We know it's practice. We know we can't really take a hit on them. But, you know, it's just cool to talk stuff to them, like 'bro I could have killed you' and stuff like that."
  
  Tre Nixon on his initial impressions of training camp: "It's an amazing experience. Just seeing all the fans out here, something I've never seen before. The amount of people out here just kind of shows the culture, the tradition of the Patriots, and it's a great atmosphere to play in beautiful weather. So, you know, I can't complain."

For more on Day 4 of Patriots training camp, check out the Patriots recap podcast featuring NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry.

MORE: Day 3 Patriots training camp notebook

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].

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