Zolak & Bertrand: Today was Mac Jones day
On Wednesday’s edition of Zolak & Bertrand, the crew made it clear that it was Mac Jones day, despite his numbers being similar to Bailey Zappe’s.
#Patriots training camp Day 8:
🏈Bill O'Brien's offense comes alive. Best practice by far for QBs.
🏈Mac 13/15, Zappe 12/14. Both hit long passes, TDs.
🏈Mac went 3/4 inside red zone, TDs to Parker and JuJu. Zappe 2/3, sack.
🏈Top D stuffed Harris twice at goal line. Tavai at FB.
Jones – 13/15 – 3/4 inside the redzone – Touchdown passes to Davante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Zappe – 12/14 – 2/3 inside the redzone – Also was sacked once.
JuJu Smith-Schuster had nothing but praise for Mac Jones after practice, saying the offense starts with him and he’s a spark. Also couldn’t help but show love to Bill O’Brien as well.
Devante Parker from Mac Jones over Christian Gonzalez. 👀 pic.twitter.com/42u3a0MEq0
— Savage (@SavageSports_) August 2, 2023
Don’t let the numbers fool you…
Scott Zolak: I think part of the problem, too, is when you look at a lot of these numbers, you start crunching them. What’s the situation? Is it a half field, a full field? Do they have the Billy O’Brien play caller in their heads or are you servicing the defense in this drill? Some of those drills like, okay, it’s a defensive drill. It’s not just sit out here and we’re doing this to benefit the offense all day. Now sometimes you’re going to flip practice to benefit the defense, meaning we’re just going to run curl routes and drag routes. We’re gonna see how we defend it. We’re gonna see who breaks on the ball. And Bill’s talked about this like you guys sit there, count reps and and I’ll gladly sit down with you. All we’re looking for… where’s the guy’s hips? Where’s his feet? Is he in direct line to where we want him to be as far as positioning. I talked about this with him last year during the Vegas week. It feels like there’s a lot made about this, that or this or what this guy’s numbers are. You know, when we watch it on tape. Is the guy in relative position to where we want him to be, to what we’re coaching him to do? That’s what we’re looking at. So we could sit down here and like I said, we could chart numbers. I don’t put a lot of stock in numbers. I come out here and I watch practice today. To me, Mac Jones looks like the starter. Like Hardy said, he looks like the guy that could go out and start a game tomorrow. The other guy looks like the backup. Trace McSorley looks like the third guy to me. But yet statistically, very comparable day between the two, like people are going to run with that. Just be careful with it.
Hardy: Mac played with some conviction today.
Scott Zolak: The excitement and, you know, the revving the group up and the high fiving and just the energy. Felt like it was his day to day.
Listen to the full segment!
7 Patriots preseason legends you might've forgotten
Each year during Patriots training camp, there’s a name or two that absolutely pops or gets a ton of hype from the fanbase. Sometimes the buzz from the fanbase comes from shining during practice or preseason games, other times it’s about what the player did elsewhere.
Last week on Zolak & Bertrand, the crew laughed at the hype some guys get for shining during this time of the year, because usually it means close to nothing. Very rarely does the 3rd-string QB have any chance of opening eyes, nevermind earning a roster spot.
This list won’t includes the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo or Jarrett Stidham. It’s more about the guys that didn’t make it out of camp or failed to ever have a prominent role on the 53-man roster.
It’s a lot harder to make the same impression some of these guys did now, especially with one less preseason game. But there’s already a ton of hype surrounding the likes of Demario Douglas and trying to figure out a way to keep Trace McSorely on the Patriots.
So here’s some darlings you might’ve forgot over the years….
1. Tim Tebow, QB
This crazy draft news cycle just one-upped itself. According to Update on a former first-round pick: Tim Tebow recently worked out for the #Jaguars, source said, and there has been at least some discussion of him signing. Oh, and he’s a tight end now.
It’s crazy to think about how much hype Tim Tebow’s name carried in the early 2010s, thanks to his ridiculous run with the Broncos when they advanced past the Steelers in the 2011 AFC Wild Card game. For years, Bill Belichick couldn’t help himself from praising Tebow’s character and the way he played the game of football. Unfortunately, things didn’t end up working out with the Patriots, as he got cut after throwing for 145 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions over 3 preseason games.
2. Brian Tyms, WR
Nov 30, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Brian Tyms (84) before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Heading into the 2014-2015 season, everyone was watching Jimmy Garoppolo to see if he’d be the successor to Tom Brady, and he ended up forming quite the connection with Brian Tyms. It all started in the first game against the Washington Commanders when he caught 5 passes for 119 yards and a TD. He even ended up making the 53-man roster, as he appeared in 11 regular season games and ended up catching a touchdown from Tom Brady against the Bills.
3. Danny Etling, QB
Aug 30, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Danny Etling (5) throws a pass as New York Giants linebacker Lorenzo Carter (59) pursues during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Danny Etling was a 7th-round pick by the Patriots in the 2018 Draft and he made his name known during the final preseason game against the Giants. He broke off an 86-yard touchdown to seal the win as time winded down in the 4th quarter. It led to Etling sticking around for a year on the practice squad, before the Patriots cut ties with him.
4. Austin Carr, WR
Jul 27, 2017; Foxborough, MA: New England Patriots wide receiver Austin Carr (84) makes a catch while running back Dion Lewis (33) defends during training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)
Similar to everybody waiting for Tom Brady’s successor, Austin Carr felt into the same category when it came to being the next Julian Edelman. It didn’t help when he had one of the stronger preseasons of any player in the NFL, racking up 14 catches for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns. Still, it wasn’t enough as he was waived by the Patriots and picked up by the Saints ahead of the regular season.
5. Eric Decker, WR
Eric Decker speaks after practice during New England Patriots training camp in Foxborough, Mass. on August 7, 2018. (Credit: Matt Dolloff/98.5 The Sports Hub)
Eric Decker was always one of those players in the NFL that felt like a natural fit for the Patriots. He didn’t get a chance with the organization until it was the final stop of his career, as he signed a 1-year deal worth $1.9 MM that could reach up to $2.5 MM. Ultimately, he retired at the end of August as his chances of making the roster seemed low due to an unimpressive camp.
7. Demaryius Thomas, WR
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 29: Demaryius Thomas #88 of the New England Patriots celebrates after scoring a touchdwon during the preseason game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on August 29, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Despite Tom Brady and Demaryius Thomas being good friends off the field, Thomas and the Patriots couldn’t make it work in New England. Thomas had a big preseason finale, securing seven catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns, but was waived before the regular season started. He was then re-signed a few days later, listed as an inactive in Week 1, then shipped off to the Jets ahead of Week 2.
