Morning sports update: J.C. Jackson talked about the ‘scary’ Patriots secondary
Jackson also discussed his initial impressions of Cam Newton.
The Bruins eliminated the Hurricanes from the playoffs on Wednesday with a 2-1 in Game 5 to win the series 4-1.
The deciding goal came from Patrice Bergeron, who scored from a seemingly impossible angle:
The Celtics soundly defeated the 76ers in Game 2, 128-101, taking a 2-0 series lead. Jayson Tatum led the way for Boston with 33 points.
The Red Sox snapped a nine-game losing streak on Wednesday, beating the Phillies 6-3.
And tonight, the Revolution return to Gillette Stadium for the resumption of the MLS regular season. New England face the Philadelphia Union at 7:30 p.m.
J.C. Jackson has high hopes for the Patriots’ secondary: While the 2020 Patriots defense will be missing a few players due to both free agent losses and opt-outs because of the coronavirus pandemic, the secondary should still be among the best in football.
With 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore at one cornerback position and Jackson — allowing just a 49.6 percent completion percentage — at the other, Bill Belichick’s defense could base itself around strong pass coverage.
Adding Devin and Jason McCourty as well as other players like Jonathan Jones and talented rookie Kyle Dugger, Jackson sees a trend already in training camp. Asked what the unit’s mentality is, he had a succinct response.
“Scary,” Jackson told reporters. “It’s a scary sight, man.”
Jackson and the defense have gotten an early look at new Patriots quarterback Cam Newton in practice.
“Man, I love seeing Cam running with the ball in his hands,” Jackson said of Newton. “Like I said, he’s a playmaker. He’s a hard-working kid and he just brings a lot of value to our team.”
And in terms of intangibles, Jackson praised Newton’s energy.
“Oh yeah, he has the juice everyday. He’s dancing. He’s clapping guys up. I love Cam’s energy. That’s what we need.”
Trivia: What golfer was the first to win a PGA Tour event at TPC Boston in 2003?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He remains the only Australian to win the Masters.
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Stephon Gilmore was thankful for the early scouting footage
:
Thanks for showing me the routes teams work on lol https://t.co/TtmgH1bryS
— The Gilly Lock (@BumpNrunGilm0re) August 20, 2020
The possibility of the Patriots platooning the quarterback position:
On this day: In 2008, Usain Bolt completed his sweep of the 100 and 200-meter gold medals. In the 200-meter final, Bolt set a world record time of 19.30.
Daily highlight: Just Jayson Tatum highlights from Game 2. All of them.
Jayson Tatum flipped the switch and went off for 33 points tonight 🔥🔥 https://t.co/ntbmXTiiqh
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) August 20, 2020
Trivia answer: Adam Scott
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