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Through the first three days of padded practice, there may not be a clear leader in the New England Patriots‘ “open” quarterback competition. Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham, and Brian Hoyer have all had their moments, and each of them has struggled at points. Because of the close nature of the competition, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is reportedly open to an approach that is seldom seen in the National Football League.
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Bill Belichick Open to a Platoon System at QB
When Belichick was asked after Wednesday’s practice if he would consider a platoon system at quarterback to take advantage of different guys’ strengths, he said: “of course I would. I’d consider anything that helps us win games.”
In a platoon system, Newton could see time on the field when the Patriots want to keep the threat on run-pass-option plays, or designed runs. Hoyer might be in for more pure passing situations, while Stidham could offer a little bit of both.
Who is Leading the Way Currently?
Tuesday was a tough one for Stidham as he threw three interceptions. He bounced back well on Wednesday. He made some solid throws, though he did throw another pick. Newton continues to struggle a bit with the offense at times, and he was picked off by rookie safety Kyle Dugger who is proving to be one of the team’s early standouts in training camp.
Hoyer, the veteran quarterback who is on his third tour with the Patriots has likely been the most solid. While he didn’t necessarily light it up on Wednesday, Hoyer did hit what most would call the best throw of the day when he connected with another training-camp-standout in Devin Ross.
We’ve still got a little less than a month to go before Week 1 vs. the Miami Dolphins. At one point, it seemed Newton would be a lock to start the season opener, as of now, no one can be quite as sure as they were before.
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Bill Belichick Open to Unorthodox Approach to Patriots’ QB Situation