The World of Sports

New on Sports Illustrated: Bill Belichick May Have Outsmarted Everyone Again

<a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/31/bill-belichick-outsmarted-everyone-again-mac-jones">
<p class="subtitle">The Patriots are now all-in on Mac Jones, and they may have found a potential star hiding in plain sight.</p>
<p>Bill Belichick is probably right, because Bill Belichick is usually right, and so we should pause now to ponder what it means if he is. Belichick just stuffed the rest of his career into Mac Jones’s pocket, just four months after Jones was the fifth quarterback taken in the draft. We are left with the astounding but increasingly likely possibility that Belichick outsmarted the league yet again.</p>
<p>The Patriots might have found a star hiding in plain sight: a national-championship winning, All-America quarterback at the nation’s most successful college program. We’ll see how Jones does—next week, next month, next year. But if he excels, I would not want to be the general manager who has to explain how I missed on that guy.</p>
<p><em>Well … uh … I know he showed he could do all this at Alabama … but ... um … you see …</em></p>
<figure><img height="345" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTgzNTQxODYxNzY2NDA3MjA2/bill-belichick-outsmarted-everyone-mac-jones.jpg" width="620" />
<figcaption>
<p>Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports</p>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Maybe Belichick is wrong. But if he’s right, he will be right because of a concept that is very simple yet still gets lost sometimes: Playing quarterback in the NFL is primarily about figuring out where the ball should go and getting it there. Arm strength, foot speed, athleticism, work ethic and the ability to read defenses are all just factors that help a quarterback accomplish that task.</p>
<p>If you look at the best quarterbacks of the modern era, they all knew where the ball should go and got it there. So simple it sounds ridiculous. But think about Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. There are quarterbacks who threw harder than all of them and never made it. There are quarterbacks who could read defenses just as quickly but couldn’t deliver the ball fast or accurately enough. There are quarterbacks who could throw hard enough <em>and</em> read defenses well enough but reacted very poorly to 300-pound men charging toward them. Somehow, the combination of traits has to add up to enough.</p>
<p>Now go back to last spring. So much of the predraft talk was about Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields and</p>
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/04/28/justin-fields-narratives-going-into-nfl-draft">whether he would “drop” in the draft</a>. Fields put up great numbers for the Buckeyes and won a ton. He is a phenomenal athlete: great arm, fast runner, incredibly tough. There were questions about his ability to go to his second read, which were refuted by those who said he actually went to his second read frequently. But the question was not whether Fields could do it; it was how quickly he could do it. It requires a specific kind of intelligence—the ability to process and react in less than one second. Some people who are brilliant in many areas of life would struggle with it; others, who struggle in school and show very little intellectual curiosity, excel at it.
<p>Behind a fantastic line at Ohio State, with NFL talent at receiver, Fields had plenty of time to find open targets. That won’t be the case in the NFL. Maybe he will show he can do it. But Belichick would’ve had to move up only four spots in the draft to get Fields, and there are no indications he tried.</p>
<p>He waited for Jones instead. Belichick is not the type to share all his reasons for that, but we don’t need to know all those reasons to know this: He believed in Jones’s ability to figure out where the ball should go and get it there.</p>
<p>Belichick’s genius takes many forms. But it only takes those forms because he has so much trust in himself. He believes in what he sees, no matter what anybody else thinks or how it looks on the outside. Trusted advisers <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/01/18/bill-belichick-nick-saban-friendship-relationship-patriots-alabama-browns">like Jones’s coach at Alabama, Nick Saban,</a> can help shape Belichick’s decisions, but the media narrative almost never does.</p>
<p>If Jones becomes a star, it’ll end the argument that Belichick only won because of Brady—an argument that is just as silly as arguing that Brady only won because of Belichick.</p>
<iframe height="481.984375" width="100%" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm?p=DGT4935950864" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p>New England’s offense can bring out the best in Jones, but Jones can also bring out the best in the offense. Belichick can drastically change game plans each week because Jones can handle it. The Patriots’ free-agent shopping spree last winter will also look different if the starting quarterback during the duration of those deals is on a rookie contract.</p>
<p>The game has changed, and coaches are much smarter about using running quarterbacks. There is more room for quarterbacks with more varied skill sets, which is great and makes the game more entertaining. But the primary task has not changed.</p>
<p>Brady is great largely because of two traits that help him complete that task: He maintains his poise when he is about to get hit, and he moves his feet just well enough to buy himself time. His 40-yard-dash time has never mattered. I am not comparing Jones with Brady; I am comparing Belichick with Belichick. He saw what made Brady special before almost anybody else. He kept him on the roster as a rookie and believed in him when he got a chance to start. Now he trusts what he sees in Jones. Belichick scouted him, he waited for him, he picked him, he made him earn the job, and now he is ready to roll—this season, and beyond. Maybe Belichick is wrong. But I wouldn’t bet on it.</p>
<p><strong>More NFL Coverage:</strong></p>
<p><strong>•</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/31/mac-jones-won-patriots-starting-job-cam-newton-cut">Mac Won the Starting Job; No Sense to Keep Cam as Backup</a><br /></strong><strong>•</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/26/predicting-every-game-2021-nfl-season">Predicting Every Game of the 2021 Season</a><br /></strong><strong>• <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/25/how-derrick-henry-handles-workload-that-should-ruin-him-daily-cover">How Derrick Henry Handles a Throwback Workload</a><br /></strong><strong>• <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/17/early-look-2022-nfl-qb-carousel">An Early Look at the 2022 NFL Quarterback Carousel</a></strong></p>

New on Sports Illustrated: Bill Belichick May Have Outsmarted Everyone Again

The Patriots are now all-in on Mac Jones, and they may have found a potential star hiding in plain sight. Bill Belichick is probably right...

New on Sports Illustrated: Inside the Decision to Have Peyton and Eli Manning Work Without a Host on ‘Monday Night Football’: TRAINA THOUGHTS

<a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2021/08/31/espn-monday-night-football-peyton-manning-host">
<p class="subtitle">Why will it just be the brothers on the ‘Monday Night Football’ alternate telecast?</p>
<p><strong>1. </strong>It was reported Monday that ESPN’s alternate <em>Monday Night Football</em> telecast featuring Peyton and Eli Manning, which will air on ESPN2 for 10 weeks this season, will not have a host or play-by-play person. The broadcast will just feature the two Mannings with an array of guests.</p>
<p>Sources have told me that just two people auditioned with Peyton and Eli: <em>Good Morning Football</em>’s Kyle Brandt and ESPN’s Mina Kimes.</p>
<p>Both reportedly performed very well, but on Aug. 23, Peyton and Eli called the Jaguars-Saints <em>Monday Night Football</em> game without a host as a test. The brothers apparently knocked it out of the park and convinced ESPN and Peyton’s Omaha Productions that a host wasn’t needed. </p>
<p>While it would've been great to see</p>
</a><a href="https://youtu.be/kYSbwH5goEc">Brandt react to an Angry Run in real time</a>, this isn’t totally shocking. The alternate broadcast was always going to be <em>The Peyton Manning Show</em> and a host, no matter who it was and how good they were, could have gotten in the way.
<p>This was covered in depth on last week’s <em>SI Media Podcast</em> with James Andrew Miller:</p>
<iframe height="200" width="100%" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=CAD3537261170" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p>The ESPN alternate telecast was intriguing even before the decision to go without a host. Now things are even more interesting.</p>
<p>What will happen if the alternate broadcast is a success? Would ESPN ever turn over the main <em>Monday Night Football</em> telecast to Peyton and Eli? Or would ESPN tell Peyton that to get the main <em>Monday Night Football</em> gig, the show would need to add a play-by-play person?</p>
<p>Also, what will constitute “success” here? Ratings will automatically be up for ESPN2, because an NFL game will automatically generate higher ratings than anything else ESPN2 would’ve aired in that time slot, even if it’s an alternate telecast.</p>
<p>The key will be week-to-week growth for the show.</p>
<p>Will fans tune into the Peyton and Eli show after Week 1, when the curiosity factor wears off? Will fans even remember there’s an alternate telecast after the novelty wears off?</p>
<p>You can be sure Twitter will go wild for Peyton and Eli’s broadcast, but Twitter isn’t the real world. Will Offline America be so enamored with the brothers’ presentation of the game that it will tune in to a nontraditional telecast?</p>
<p>Quality won’t seem to be an issue as much as getting people to change their viewing habits. From everything I’ve heard, Peyton has been lights out during practice games/auditions and that he was made for this format.</p>
<p><strong>2</strong>. I didn't find it shocking at all that Bill Belichick would cut Cam Newton and go with rookie Mac Jones as a his starting quarterback, but apparently everyone else did. Here are some amusing tweets about the big move Belichick made Tuesday.</p>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/bykevinclark/status/1432707589729566726"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/BetMGM/status/1432706957220134918"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/theStevenRuiz/status/1432709493419356166"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/Point_God_11_/status/1432707859066855433"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/In_The_Slot/status/1432710591278460929"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/Reflog_18/status/1432722389952077833"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p><strong>3. </strong>The college football season kicked off Saturday. That means the return of the single-greatest weekly segment on all of sports television: Scott Van Pelt's Bad Beats. Enjoy.</p>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/StanfordSteve82/status/1432690205211963392"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p><strong>4.</strong> The Blue Jays gave us one of the most visually satisfying plays you'll ever see Monday night.</p>
<iframe height="477" width="640" src="https://www.redditmedia.com/r/baseball/comments/pewcrx/6_blue_jays_converge_for_the_ball_the_result/?ref_source=embed&ref=share&embed=true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p>Speaking of the Blue Jays, we love this home run celebration.</p>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/DustinSaracini/status/1432515463544717317"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p><strong>5.</strong> Last week, Traina Thoughts told you about the Milk Crate Challenge and that it was so dangerous TikTok was banning the videos. Monday, right before the season kicks off, Steelers wideout JuJu Smith Schuster took the challenge, but no harm was done.</p>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/ActionNetNFL/status/1432402160285802496"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p><strong>6.</strong> The latest episode of the <em>SI Media Podcast</em> features two interviews.</p>
<p>First up is Nate Burleson, who has left the NFL Network's <em>Good Morning Football</em> to cohost <em>CBS This Morning</em>. Burleson discusses what went into his decision to make the career change, why the move wasn't an automatic "yes" and why the job at CBS News appealed to him. The former NFL wide receiver also talks about the reaction to the NFL playoff game he called on Nickelodeon last year, his favorite <em>Good Morning Football</em> memory and the hardest job he's ever had. He also gives us a great Jay-Z impersonation.</p>
<p>Following Burleson, writer, author and reporter James Andrew Miller joins the podcast. Miller shares his insights into ESPN's alternate <em>Monday Night Football</em> telecast with Peyton and Eli Manning, Stephen A. Smith’s reportedly getting Max Kellerman removed from <em>First Take</em>, the <em>Sopranos</em> prequel movie, the upcoming season of <em>Curb Your Enthusiasm</em> and much more.</p>
<p>The podcast wraps up with the weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, Jimmy and Sal Licata from WFAN and SNY discuss whether you can do a sports debate show with someone you don't like, <em>Hard Knocks</em>, <em>SummerSlam</em>, CM Punk’s return to wrestling and more.</p>
<p>You can listen to the podcast below or download it on <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/si-media-a">Apple</a>, <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/simedia-spotify">Spotify</a> and <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/simedia-stitcher">Stitcher</a>.</p>
<iframe height="200" width="100%" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=CAD3537261170" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p>You can also watch the <em>SI Media Podcast</em> on YouTube.</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GYZ6MyiT048" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<p><strong>7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY:</strong> With August coming to a close, we are getting closer and closer to the October premiere of <em>Curb Your Enthusiasm</em>. So we need some Larry David today.</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qCxsQPSXnsQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<p><strong><em>Be sure to </em></strong><a href="https://www.si.com/author/jimmy-traina"><strong><em>catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts</em></strong></a><strong><em> and check out the</em> Sports Illustrated Media Podcast <em>hosted by Jimmy Traina on </em></strong><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sports-illustrated-media-podcast/id997819235?mt=2"><strong><em>Apple</em></strong></a><strong><em>, </em></strong><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Bvno6GHUWSuOLTAIWma1u"><strong><em>Spotify</em></strong></a><strong><em> or </em></strong><a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/sports-illustrated-media-podcast#/"><strong><em>Stitcher</em></strong></a><strong><em>. You can also follow Jimmy on </em></strong><a href="https://twitter.com/JimmyTraina"><strong><em>Twitter</em></strong></a><strong><em> and </em></strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jimmytraina/"><strong><em>Instagram</em></strong></a><strong><em>.</em></strong></p>

New on Sports Illustrated: Inside the Decision to Have Peyton and Eli Manning Work Without a Host on ‘Monday Night Football’: TRAINA THOUGHTS

Why will it just be the brothers on the ‘Monday Night Football’ alternate telecast? 1. It was reported Monday that ESPN’s alternate Monda...

New on Sports Illustrated: Francisco Lindor and Javier Báez Apologize for Giving Mets Fans Thumbs Down

<a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/08/31/francisco-lindor-javier-baez-apologize-for-thumbs-down">
<p class="subtitle">Francisco Lindor and Javier Báez apologized for giving fans thumbs down as a form of celebration.</p>
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/mets/">Mets</a> players Javier Báez and Francisco Lindor apologized on Tuesday for <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/08/30/mets-booing-fans-good-vibes-only">their comments and for giving fans a thumbs down</a>. Báez explained on Sunday the thumbs down was directed toward the home crowd for their boos of the team. 
<p>"I just felt like we were alone, Báez said. "Obviously the fans want us to win and they pay our salary like everybody says, but we want to win too and the frustration got to us. I didn't mean to offend anybody, and if I offended anybody we apologize."</p>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/JustinCToscano/status/1432738859855585284"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p>On Sunday, after a game where Báez homered and celebrated with a thumbs down, <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/08/29/javier-baez-gives-mets-fans-thumbs-down-to-boo-them">he explained during a postgame press conference</a> that the meaning behind the thumbs down celebration was in retaliation to Mets fans for routinely booing him and his teammates for their struggles at Citi Field. </p>
<p>"We're not machines," Báez said Sunday. "We're going to struggle seven times out of 10. It just feels bad when...I strike out and get booed, you know, it doesn't really get to me but I want to let them [fans] know that when we're successful, we're going to do the same thing to let them know how it feels."</p>
<p>Báez, Lindor and Kevin Pillar were among the players who gave fans the thumbs down. </p>
<p>"It was wrong, and I apologize to whoever I offended," Lindor said. "It's not my intent to offend people, can't go against the fans, I've never done [that] in my career. With that being said I apologize, and it didn't look good on our part."</p>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/DeeshaThosar/status/1432741855066738689"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p>Báez also explained that he's done this in the past but directed toward other teams — specifically citing him giving the thumbs down to the Los Angeles dugout. He tweeted after his formal apology as well. </p>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/javy23baez/status/1432748724296552452"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p>Mets owner Steve Cohen also chimed in after their apology in support of the players ahead of their home game against the Marlins. </p>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/StevenACohen2/status/1432747741818544132"></a></blockquote>
<script async="async" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p><strong>More Mets Coverage: </strong></p>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/08/30/mets-booing-fans-good-vibes-only">Good Vibes Only at Citi Field</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/08/29/javier-baez-gives-mets-fans-thumbs-down-to-boo-them">Mets' Báez Calls Out Fans, Admonished by Team President</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/mets/news/mets-noah-syndergaard-tests-positive-for-covid-19">Mets' Noah Syndergaard Tests Positive for COVID-19</a></strong></li>
</ul>

New on Sports Illustrated: Francisco Lindor and Javier Báez Apologize for Giving Mets Fans Thumbs Down

Francisco Lindor and Javier Báez apologized for giving fans thumbs down as a form of celebration. Mets players Javier Báez and Francisco ...

New on Sports Illustrated: Danny Green Dishes on Ben Simmons’s Future in Philadelphia

<a href="https://www.si.com/podcasts/2021/08/31/danny-green-talks-ben-simmons-76ers-future">
<p class="subtitle">The Sixers guard joins The Crossover podcast to talk about offseason moves and the top contenders in the East.</p>
<iframe height="200" width="100%" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=CAD5506350665" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p>It’s been a great offseason for Sixers vet Danny Green, who signed a rich new contract and married his longtime girlfriend, Blair Bashen. The three-time NBA champ discusses his decision to return to Philly, the Sixers’ title hopes, the fate of Ben Simmons and much more.</p>
<p><em>The following transcript is an excerpt from</em> The Crossover <em>NBA podcast</em><em>. Listen to the full episode on</em></p>
</a><a href="https://link.chtbl.com/crossover?sid=article"><em>podcast players everywhere</em></a> <em>or on</em> <em><a href="https://www.si.com/tag/the-crossover-nba-show">SI.com</a></em><em>.</em>
<p><strong>Howard Beck:</strong> So as we sit here in late August discussing all this and training camps are about a month away, there's obviously like the one big—and this is the elephant in the room in this whole discussion of contention in the East and everything else—we don't know the future of Ben Simmons.</p>
<p>You decide to re-sign with this team that’s built around two stars. One of those stars, we don't really know what's going to happen, if he's going to be traded by opening night or maybe later than that, some point. How closely are you paying attention to it? I assume this is at least some subject of conversation as you and your teammates are texting each other in the summer?</p>
<p><strong>Danny Green:</strong> I was just working out with one of our coaches here and we were just talking about what's going on, what they've heard. We don't hear from the higher-ups. We don't get that intel or they don't consult with us before they make moves here. We’re hearing who we might get, who we might lose. We're all very interested in paying very close attention to it.</p>
<p>Ben, as rough of an end as he had—I mean, it was rough media-wise—I think he still played great defensively, rebounded the ball well and did his job. And I was not there to help. But as rough as it was for him, probably mentally, emotionally and for the city and for people who bashed him, he's still a very good player. And we need him. We need him to excel. I need him to excel. So that's going to be a big part of how I'm able to play within the system, how we operate within the system, because he produces a lot of transition, produces a lot of open threes. That's kind of what I do.</p>
<p>There’s also a great defender. So we need him and we're all trying to just get on board and get everything in the past, leave it in the past and move forward with the next season. But we don't know where that's at with the organization, where he's at with it. </p>
<p>But for the most part I'm going with the mindset that he's going to be with us and that we need him and you just try to get him on board. That's the mentality I have, and hopefully he has the same one.</p>
<iframe height="375" width="100%" src="https://disco.headliner.link/d/si/web/widget.html?widgetId=WI_ckqtsrrc3000163p0dktoiptd" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<p><strong>HB:</strong> If he’s not there, what changes for you? I mean, everybody looks at it through their own prism of, O.K., my role on the team and who I play off of and who I've got a good vibe with, good chemistry with, whatever. If Ben Simmons is somewhere else on opening night, which you don't have to agree but in my mind, I think it's inevitable, I think it's almost a given because I just think it's going to be really tough to keep him after all that's happened, all that's been discussed, all that's been in the media.</p>
<p>So what changes for Danny Green to not have Ben Simmons as the guy orchestrating out there and pushing it on the break and everything, breaking down defense, getting you open threes?</p>
<p><strong>DG:</strong> That’s going to be tough to say, man, because we don’t know what we’re going to get back for him. We may get a point guard, we may get wings. That may change a lot. I might be playing with a different type of point guard. I might be playing with different type of wings. I might be coming off the bench. I don't know who we’re going to get, so it could change a lot.</p>
<p>And also defensively, I probably become the primary defender. I’m not saying it’s an issue or problem for me. But we have one less wing of a defender [without] him. … You talk about our main defenders, that was a big part of that and big part of our defense. Obviously, Tobias [Harris] has kicked it up a notch and been amazing defensively for us, but Ben was DPOY for us this year. We thought he deservingly so should have been Defensive Player of the Year, no disrespect to Rudy Gobert. … We thought Ben was able to guard one through five and set the tone for us. But if he’s gone, that changes a lot for not just offensively, but defensively as well for me. Depends on what we get back in return.</p>
<p><strong>Listen to <em>The Crossover</em> NBA podcast</strong><br />
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/crossover-apple">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/crossover-spotify">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/crossover-stitcher">Stitcher</a> | <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/crossover-google">Google Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/crossover-iheart">iHeart</a></p>
<p>Find <a href="https://www.si.com/tag/the-crossover-nba-show">recent episodes</a> on SI.com</p>

New on Sports Illustrated: Danny Green Dishes on Ben Simmons’s Future in Philadelphia

The Sixers guard joins The Crossover podcast to talk about offseason moves and the top contenders in the East. It’s been a great offseaso...

New on Sports Illustrated: Cam Newton Released, Mac Jones Named Starter; Fantasy Ripple Effects Across Offense

<a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/08/31/cam-newton-released-mac-jones-named-starter-impact">
<p class="subtitle">Rookie Mac Jones is thrust into a starting role and the effects will be felt across the offense for fantasy managers</p>
<p>The quarterback battle in New England is over, and it ended unexpectedly. Cam Newton was</p>
</a><a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/31/cam-newton-released-mac-jones-start-patriots">released Tuesday morning</a>, and rookie Mac Jones was named the Patriots' starting quarterback.
<figure><img height="814" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTgzMTEyMjcyNjk1MDEwNjU2/mac-jones-vert.jpg" width="620" />
<figcaption>
<p>Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports</p>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Newton, the 2015 NFL MVP, was entering his second year with the team and was trying to hold off Jones, the Patriots' first-round draft pick out of Alabama, for the starting job. With Jones behind center, the fantasy stock of every skill position player in New England rises, and he becomes a viable fantasy backup option.</p>
<p>Jones's weapons aren't much on paper, but he has a diverse running back group, a solid crop of receivers, and two talented tight ends. He's also insured by one of the best offensive lines in football. Jones similarly had great protection at Alabama, which gave him the time to efficiently and effectively spread the ball around the field at a ridiculous 77% completion rate. He's not a threat to run like his predecessor, as Jones is much more stationary in the pocket. Given Tuesday's roster move, a true pocket-passer is clearly what head coach Bill Belichick wants in his signal-caller.</p>
<p>Below is a breakdown of the fantasy impact of Newton's release and Jones starting at quarterback have on each Patriots' skill-position groups.</p>
<h3>Running Backs</h3>
<p><strong>(Damien Harris-James White-Rhamondre Stevenson)</strong></p>
<p>Harris had the highest average draft position (ADP) of any Patriots player even before Jones was named the starter, and that's bound to shoot up. Without Newton poaching goal-line carries, getting designed runs called for him, or taking off and scrambling, the rushing offense goes through Harris.</p>
<figure><img height="345" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTc1Mjg2NDg1MjYyNTQyMzY2/nfl-roster-rule-changes-ir-damien-harris-new-england-patriots.jpg" width="620" />
<figcaption>
<p>Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports</p>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Newton's exit from New England coupled with the trade of Sony Michel to the Rams are both massive shots in the arm for fantasy managers with Harris on their teams. For those who have yet to draft, you'll have to spend even greater draft capital to get Harris on your roster.</p>
<p>In 13 games last season, Harris carried the ball 137 times. The Patriots' top three rushers besides Harris from 2020 are no longer with the team, and together they leave behind a massive share in the running game. Newton matched Harris' 137 carries, Michel ran the ball 79 times and Rex Burkhead, who is now with the Texans, ate up 67 carries. Expect James White to still get the passing down work in the offense (Harris only had seven targets last season).</p>
<p>Rhamondre Stevenson impressed in the preseason, and he received ample opportunity to do so, getting 30 carries across three games. He broke off a <a href="https://www.si.com/college/oklahoma/football/watch-rhamondre-stevenson-91-yard-house-call-in-patriots-win-over-washington">91-yard touchdown run</a> against Washington in the preseason and averaged a ridiculous 7.2 yards per carry in running for an NFL-best 216 yards in the preseason.</p>
<p>Still, Harris is the running back you want in New England, and he stands to gain the most from Jones starting at QB.</p>
<h3>Wide Receivers</h3>
<p><strong>(Nelson Agholor-Jakobi Meyers-Kendrick Bourne)</strong></p>
<p>Jones doesn't have the same receiving options he did at Alabama, which is to say he doesn't have three first-rounders at his disposal. But the Patriots are trotting out a much improved receiving corps from what Newton had last season. Jones, a more traditional pocket pass than Newton, stands to gain from these offseason upgrades.</p>
<p>Agholor was not a sought-after receiver with Newton behind center, but he can likely perform in the same range he did in Las Vegas last season with Jones throwing to him. As the second option for Derek Carr (behind Darren Waller), Agholor transformed into a deep threat and posted career highs in yards per reception (18.7) and receiving yards (896). He hauled in eight touchdowns in the process for a WR21 finish. It's within reason for him to produce similarly in New England. With two tight ends to feed and a known pass-catching commodity at running back, Agholor won't get a ton of volume, but he proved last season he doesn't need it to produce. Jones showed he could throw the deep ball at Alabama and Agholor stands to gain. Consider Agholor a solid late-round depth addition on your bench.</p>
<figure><img height="349" src="https://www.si.com/.image/c_fit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_620/MTc2OTUzODc5MDc2ODA4MDQ4/patriots-jakobi-meyers.jpg" width="620" />
<figcaption>
<p>© Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports</p>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Meyers was the only Patriots pass-catcher worth rostering in 2020, and that's saying something considering he didn't catch a single touchdown. He led the team in targets, receptions, and receiving yards in only 14 games and never found the end zone. With Jones, who tossed 41 touchdown passes his final season in college, Meyers' will break his 29-game scoreless streak to start his career. Meyers could fill the role that DeVonta Smith did for Jones. Meyers would be hard-pressed to match Smith's ridiculous Heisman numbers, but being Jones' No. 1 option is worth something — Smith finished with 117 catches that season, second on the team was 55.</p>
<p>Very few offenses support three fantasy-relevant receivers, and with the targets bound for tight ends in the Patriots offense, Bourne isn't a viable option. He, of course, stands to gain from the QB change but not enough at this point to draft.</p>
<h3>Tight Ends</h3>
<p><strong>(Hunter Henry-Jonnu Smith)</strong></p>
<p>Smith and Henry will cannibalize each other's targets, but at least now those targets are worth more. Jones' top two tight end targets at Alabama were not big factors in the offense, but too much shouldn't be made of that considering the receivers he had on hand.</p>
<p>Both Patriots' tight ends currently have ADPs beyond the top 12 tight ends, and it would be shocking if, especially now, one of them didn't finish as a TE1. Bump both Smith and Henry up in your rankings but know that it will still be frustrating week-to-week to predict which tight end will be the focal point of the offense. I still prefer Henry based on him outproducing Smith to this point in their careers, but they'll both be involved.</p>
<p><strong>More from SI Fantasy:</strong></p>
<p>• <a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/08/30/football-nfl-preseason-hot-takes-reactions">Preseason Hot Takes & Reactions to Everything You Need to Know</a><br />
• <a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/08/27/football-super-deep-sleepers">Super Deep Sleepers: Dive Underground on Draft Day</a><br />
• <a href="https://www.si.com/fantasy/2021/08/28/week-1-rankings-projections">Week 1 Rankings & Stat Projections</a></p>

New on Sports Illustrated: Cam Newton Released, Mac Jones Named Starter; Fantasy Ripple Effects Across Offense

Rookie Mac Jones is thrust into a starting role and the effects will be felt across the offense for fantasy managers The quarterback battl...

The World of Sports

New on Sports Illustrated: Bill Belichick May Have Outsmarted Everyone Again

New on Sports Illustrated: Inside the Decision to Have Peyton and Eli Manning Work Without a Host on ‘Monday Night Football’: TRAINA THOUGHTS

New on Sports Illustrated: Francisco Lindor and Javier Báez Apologize for Giving Mets Fans Thumbs Down

New on Sports Illustrated: Danny Green Dishes on Ben Simmons’s Future in Philadelphia

New on Sports Illustrated: Cam Newton Released, Mac Jones Named Starter; Fantasy Ripple Effects Across Offense

Popular Posts

Blog Archive

Labels