It was only preseason. By any definition, meaningless.
But Cam Newton Thursday night in Philadelphia played like a man who’d heard enough about rookie hot shot Mac Jones. He helped his cause. And there’s little doubt he is going to be the Patriots’ starting quarterback at the start of the season.
We know by now that Bill Belichick loves Newton the way he loves Lawrence Taylor, special teams play, and the Army-Navy football game. Newton returned the love in Philly, completing 8 of 9 passes for 103 yards and putting two touchdowns on the board in the first quarter of New England’s 35-0 rout of the Eagles.