New England Patriots: 3 big questions Bill Belichick avoided this week

Cam Newton hasn’t lost the New England Patriots starting role…or has he?

With a sharp performance against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cam Newton showed glimpses of MVP Cam Newton, but a COVID-19 mishap to begin the week quickly turned the positive vibes around the veteran New England Patriots quarterback into a golden opportunity for Mac Jones…at least many hoped it did.

Jones really did take advantage of his opportunity.  In taking most of the reps in practice he showed how much command he has running the offense.  But he also seemed frustrated because when Newton returned to practice, things went back to what they were.  The COVID-19 situation that led Newton to miss five days of practice was nothing more than a misunderstanding in Belichick’s eyes.

"“No.  He didn’t go against the team rules,” Belichick said when asked whether Newton went against team rules.  “But there was a misunderstanding, and it’s exactly what I said it was in the statement.”"

That is what he is saying publicly.  It is also a bit different than he has treated other players in the past.  So, what does Cam Newton have on Bill Belichick?

You must wonder at this point because he is has made mistakes on and off the field now and still gets praise from the Patriots head coach.

That would suggest Belichick is going to stick with Newton no matter what or perhaps the coach knows the veteran quarterback is fighting for his NFL career and wants to give him every opportunity to show that he can still be a starting quarterback in this league, if not for the New England Patriots.

In all, it’s going to be a fascinating story this upcoming week.  Will he go with the player who once was, or will he go with the player who represent the future?