Patriots notebook For Jarrett Stidham time becoming as big of an adversary as C

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The just wrapped up what may later be looked at as a defining week in the quarterback battle to start the 2020 regular season. This week brought the first set of padded practices for New England, which added a competitive layer to the competition between , , and that was lacking over the early stages of training camp. With the initial wave of padded practices now in the books, this snapshot of the current competition seems to have Stidham trending in the wrong direction.The second-year quarterback wasn't particularly sharp during team drills over the week and threw multiple interceptions. However, that may be due to . According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Stidham was taken to a local hospital on Thursday for precautionary tests on his upper leg, which came back negative. The 24-year-old was on the practice field on Friday, but was limited. While Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels noted Friday that Stidham should be "ready to roll' the next time New England hits the practice field, the NFL Network reported that it may be several weeks before he is back to full strength.If that latter piece of information comes to fruition and Stidham won't be 100% for another few weeks, that could be further reason to give the edge in this battle to Cam Newton, who enjoyed a strong week of practice. Since the club brought Newton aboard in July, it's been my feeling that if Stidham were to win the starting job, he'd need to rip it away from everyone else. Not just go toe-to-toe with Newton and Hoyer, but leave no doubt. To this point, that hasn't happened, and an injury limiting his effectivene s couldn't be more ill timed for him as he tries to secure the job.That's illuminated even more with Bill Belichick's comments on Wednesday, acknowledging that the club will eventually need to hand the lion's share of starting reps to an individual quarterback to better prepare him for Week 1, instead of the even split the team is currently rolling with. "There's some point where that's going to happen," said the head coach. "But, right now, we want to try to, like I said, give everybody an opportunity to get the basics, and we're really doing that at all the positions. I mean, everybody's rotating through and we're trying to give everybody an opportunity to run the basic plays, get the basic fundamentals down. Yeah, of course at some point, we'll have to not equalize the reps  I mean, that's obvious  but we're not there now."Sure, New England doesn't have to name the Week 1 starter right now, but the clock is ticking as it is just a few weeks away from hosting the at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13. If Stidham is spending most of his time before the opener recovering from an injury, that doesn't put him in the best position to beat out Newton to at least start the season as QB1. Time is now becoming Stidham's biggest enemy.Here are some other Patriots-related news in notes from the past weeklatoon QB situationOne of the quirkier headlines we saw out of Foxborough this week was Bill Belichick leaving open the po sibility of the , saying he would "certainly consider" anything that he felt would help the club. What I think may give this some legs is how Belichick and the Patriots have historically looked at the first month of the season. Over the head coach's tenure in Foxborough, September has been famously coined as an extension of the preseason, with the team testing and tweaking certain aspects of the roster before fully stomping on the gas in October.With the actual preseason being scrapped, that could be further emphasized this year, especially under center. Unlike in years past, when New England didn't have to wonder who'll be QB1, the preseason would have been a helpful tool to see if any quarterback could separate himself during live,  Steven Matz Jersey in-game scenarios. While there are no exhibitions this year, Belichick could use the first month to do just that and create this sort of platoon operation to start. Once one quarterback is the clear guy, they move forward with him.This would further make sense if Newton isn't fully up to speed with the offense by the time the opener comes around. Under this hypothetical, you could start either Hoyer or Stidham, two quarterbacks with a history in New England's system, and allow Newton to ease his way into the offense, po sibly starting off with a red-zone package.My gut says that the Patriots go the more traditional route and simply name a starter, but I also wouldn't rule this out entirely, considering the unconventional start to the regular season that 2020 has brought upon us.The next ?Dion Lewis was one of the more electric players to come around Foxborough over the last decade and lightening may be striking twice as the Patriots have found a player with a very similar skillset. Running backs coach Ivan Fears compared J.J. Taylor, an undrafted rookie out of Arizona, to Lewis on Friday and even called him "Little Dion.""Same quickne s, same suddenne s," said Fears during a . "He's a hell of a pa s-catcher. Great vision. There's a (expletive) of stuff that's good about him. He has to learn to play bigger than his size."Taylor's best collegiate season came back in 2018, when he rushed for 1,434 yards and six touchdowns. His rushing totals dipped in 2019, but he was able to have his best year as a pa s-catcher, hauling in 32 pa ses for 289 yards. If New England can bring him along like Lewis, who totaled 1,110 yards and nine touchdowns from scrimmage during his final year in Foxborough, that'd be quite the find for a backfield that is looking for playmakers.For 2020, however, Taylor may be looked at as simply a developmental piece in the backfield who finds his time spent between the active roster and practice squad. raves about NewtonJulian Edelman has now gotten up close and personal with Cam Newton on the field and it seems safe to say that the veteran Patriots receiver likes what he sees. While appearing on , Edelman was asked about Newton and he has been particularly impre sed with the quarterback's confidence."He's definitely a former MVP for a reason," Edelman said, as transcribed by WEEI.com. "The guy is a profe sional. He works his tail off. He's extremely dynamic and he's got a charming personality. It's been fun to be around. He has a confidence about him  all quarterbacks have a confidence, but it's just a little different with Cam. It's a vibe that can fuel you and get you in a mindset. It's been fun."Edelman also pumped up Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer, and even developmental quarterback , saying that it's been fun to work with them as well, but his high praise for Newton should be noted here. It's yet another strong endorsement by the current face of New England's offense. It also highlights the aura that's been around Newton since he arrived. His energy and strong presence have certainly been felt, which is noteworthy for that position.  mi ses timeIt must feel a little like Groundhog Day for former first-round receiver N'Keal Harry. Last summer, he dealt with injuries leading into his rookie year and ultimately found himself on injured reserve to start the regular season. Harry was activated in early November and finished his first year in the league with just 12 catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns over seven games played. Fast forward to the here and now and Harry is once again mi sing time, as the 6-foot-4, 225 pounder mi sed three consecutive practices to end the week. The reason for Harry's absence has not been disclosed.Of course, any time mi sed over this stretch is le s than ideal, especially as New England tries to find its identity on the offensive side of the ball, specifically under center. For Harry, he's looked at as a critical piece to New England's pa sing game and poised to start alongside Julian Edelman and . After what can be considered a lost season in 2019, having him healthy out of the gate is key to his development, and buc  Jose Reyes Jersey