Stephon Gilmore still absent, other Patriots news

Stephon Gilmore still absent, other Patriots news

FOXBORO – The Patriots second day of minicamp was all about Mac Jones. For the second day in a row, the rookie took the reins and looked like the best quarterback at Gillette Stadium.

After seeing three open OTAs, it’s clear that Jones is making strides. On Tuesday, he took more reps than any quarterback in attendance and looked more polished and decisive. There were some hiccups in the end with two interceptions, but Jones outplayed Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham.

Overall, Jones completed 17/25 passes in team drills. That included two interceptions at the end of practice to Dont’a Hightower, who jumped in front of a pass to Dalton Keene, and Kyle Van Noy, who caught a ball tipped at the line of scrimmage. Jones went 9/13 in 11-on-11s and 8/12 in 7-on-7s.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (50) passes the ball as offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, left, looks on during an NFL football practice in Foxborough, Mass., Thursday, June 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

The 25 passes thrown in team drills were a team high. Cam Newton went 9/17 with an interception in team drills. Jarrett Stidham went 5/7. Brian Hoyer didn’t throw any passes in competitive team drills on Tuesday.

The first 11-on-11 period was noteworthy. The staff pumped up the music to make it harder on the quarterbacks. The defense also brought blitz-after-blitz. It seemed to hurt Newton, who went 1/3 with a near interception (Jalen Mills dropped the pick), and Stidham who went 0/2 in this drill. With Jones, however, the quarterback looked more polished.

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