Tag: Rob Ninkovich

Rob Ninkovich’s ‘playbook’ comment didn’t sit well with Cam Newton

“And that’s why I would just say what can he teach me when it’s coming at him faster than it was coming at me?”

Rob Ninkovich made a bold claim by reporting that Mac Jones was teaching Cam Newton the New England Patriots’ playbook.

It sounded difficult to believe considering Newton’s time with the Patriots in 2020 and Jones’ focus on learning the playbook himself ahead of his rookie year. Newton, in a tell-all video that was released on Friday, discussed a slew of different topics following his time with the team — including Ninkovich’s report.

Newton’s father, Cecil, asked him if Jones was teaching him.

“No,” Newton said, transcribed by NESN’s Zack Cox. “How can he teach me?”

Newton began by running through the speculation and rumors that spread through the entirety of last year and this offseason.

“Take it for what it’s worth. I didn’t play good last year. I was inaccurate. I didn’t know the playbook. They had to dumb it down. Cam and Josh weren’t meshing. Bill (Belichick) didn’t like Cam. Whatever. Whatever a pundit may say. But what can Mac teach me? That’s what I’m trying to (say). Come on now. … And I like (Jones).”

He did admit the playbook was different than what he was used to, but Jones wasn’t the one teaching him it.

“Nah. If anything, I was — I was like, ‘Josh, it’s so new to me.’ I’ve never been in a system that required me to know where the Mike (linebacker) is, to know the front, to identify certain fronts and XYZ,” Newton said. “You can’t say that that’s stupid or ‘Why wouldn’t you know that?’ because half of the NFL — I would say 30 teams out of 32 teams don’t run this philosophy. It’s in the center’s call, because they control the protection, and if you have any type of red flag or an alert, then that’s when you kind of (say), ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, Lucy this. Ricky to 50.’ You know what I’m saying? Something like that.

“But as far as that? No. Mac was cool, man. He was a person who was young. He was still trying to find his way. And that’s why I would just say what can he teach me when it’s coming at him faster than it was coming at me? I would always ask Mac, and we were helping each other. It’s like, ‘You straight, bro?’ And I would go to (Brian Hoyer) and be like, ‘Bro, you seeing something that I didn’t see?’ or ‘What was the Mike?’ or XYZ. And then me and Josh had a great dialogue after practice or during practice where he would tell me. But I felt heads and toes above where I was understanding (the offense) 12 months ago. Without a doubt.”

Newton, 32, is now a free agent in search of his next team.

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Rob Ninkovich says Mac Jones was teaching Cam Newton the Patriots’ playbook

Different potential reasons for Cam Newton’s release continue to trickle in.

Cam Newton’s release from the New England Patriots was a surprise to many.

The 32-year-old started in all three preseason games and Bill Belichick was clear in naming him the starter when Mac Jones was drafted with the No. 15 pick. Obviously, Jones surpassed all expectations and won the job with stellar and consistent performances throughout both training camp and the preseason.

Jones’ quick understanding of the Patriots’ playbook may have been a key factor in his rapid growth — while also hurting Newton’s chances for the starting role. According to Rob Ninkovich on The Dan and Ninko podcast, Jones was helping Newton with the playbook.

“From everything that I understand now, Mac was basically helping Cam learn the playbook,” he said. “So, imagine that. Learn that. Learn that right now. Absorb it. Learn it. Because Mac was having less M.E.’s — mental errors, that is what M.E. is in football, mental errors. He was having less mental errors in having a better understanding of the offense. We didn’t see Cam run any two-minute. We didn’t see him run any no-huddle. … You have to run no-huddle. That’s vital.”

It’s hard to pinpoint this as the reason for Newton’s release, but it could’ve played a factor if it’s entirely accurate. Newton’s vaccination status, his age and a myriad of other factors were all considered while trying to understand the reason of his release.

Regardless, Jones is the Patriots’ starting quarterback now and he’ll quickly get a taste of the NFL pace.

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Rob Ninkovich makes bold prediction about Patriots’ 2021 win total

Rob Ninkovich has high expectations for the Patriots in 2021.

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With the New England Patriots looking to bounce back from a difficult 2020 season, one former member is making a prediction as to how the team will do this year.

Former Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich offered up his prediction on Get Up! Thursday. He believes that because of all the new offseason additions, New England will have a greater chance of success for 2021. With a retooled offensive line and a complete overhaul of the tight end position, things could indeed look different for New England in 2021.

In the meantime, Ninkovich is going with a high win total for the Patriots, in a complete turnaround from last year.

“Well, with them spending about $200 million in free agency, I think that they’re going to have a successful year,” Ninkovich said. “I’m going with 11 wins. They’re going to be 11-6. They’re going to be right back in the mix for the division. I think they might split between Miami and Buffalo. They’re going to have a couple rough games on the road, going out to LA. So, I’m going 11-6 for the Patriots.”

With a tight AFC East division very much apparent, New England will certainly have its work cut out for them. After a subpar 2020 season, it’s refreshing to some to hear optimism.

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Former NFL linebacker says he’d ‘throw around’ Tebow as a tight end

Former Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich said he would throw Tebow around at tight end now despite being four years removed from playing.

The news that the Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to sign former quarterback Tim Tebow as a tight end wasn’t just a surprise for many fans around the league. Several players, both current and former, have also spoken out about it, and many of them have been critical of Tebow and the Jags.

One of those players is former New England Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich. He sacked Tebow 1.5 times in the Broncos’ playoff loss to New England in 2012, and even four years out of the league, Ninkovich seems to think he could still do the same with Tebow at tight end, according to his comments on ESPN’s “Get Up!”

“No. No,” Ninkovich said when asked by show host Mike Greenberg if he believes Tebow will be on the Jaguars’ 53-man roster come Week 1. “Honestly, I look at this: if you threw a helmet and shoulder pads on me, and I haven’t played in four years, I would be able to throw around Tim Tebow as a tight end. Listen, listen, you can’t just go from quarterback to a tight end.

“You can’t do it. There’s guys on rosters, and this is one of the issues that I have with the whole thing. There’s some kid that’s coming out of college that wants an opportunity and wants just to have that roster spot to go out and have the opportunity to possibly make a team. Tim Tebow has had that opportunity in the NFL. He’s had his opportunity in the NFL. He was a quarterback — it didn’t last very long. Then he wanted to go play baseball — OK. Go play baseball. It didn’t work out in baseball.”

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That’s a fair criticism from Ninkovich, as it’s hard to argue that the recurring interest in Tebow is based on merit rather than his fame. But Ninkovich feels very confident that Tebow will be “exposed” playing tight end in the NFL.

“So now his relationship with Urban Meyer gives him another chance to go play football,” he said. “But it’s not like that in football, and this is one reason I love football and I fell in love with the game, you can’t hide. You can’t hide in football. You can’t go out in left field and just go somewhere. When you’re on that field and you put pads on, you’re exposed. That’s why I love the game. When you put pads on and someone’s talking, you say ‘Alright, let’s put pads on. Let’s see who’s the tougher guy.’ You can see the people who can play. You can see it with your eyes. The film doesn’t lie. The eye in the sky — you should say ‘the eye in the sky don’t lie.’ Because once that film is on, you’re going to be exposed.

“For me, I just don’t think mentally as a quarterback going to a physical position where you have to block and go against big men that he’ll be able to do that.”

Ninkovich is far from the only person voicing these opinions, but only time will tell if Tebow can successfully make the switch. His odds of making the 53-man roster are slim, but if he does, expect NFL linebackers to try to light him up if given the chance.

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Rob Ninkovich expects Patriots to trade up for a QB in 2021 draft

Rob Ninkovich thinks the Patriots need to focus on a certain position in the first round.

With the NFL draft a little more than a week away, there have been some intriguing theories in regards to what the New England Patriots will do. With a deep draft class and a bunch of needs, this could be the perfect storm for New England. Ex-Patriot Rob Ninkovich has a theory of his own in regards to what the Patriots will do on draft day.

Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Wednesday, the linebacker indicated that he expects New England will move up in the draft for a quarterback.

Ninkovich believes that if the Patriots do not do so, they will be an average team for the 2021 season.

“They need to get a quarterback,” Ninkovich added Wednesday on ESPN’s “Get Up,” as transcribed by ESPN. “If they do not address the quarterback issue, they’re going to have another tough year. They’re going to be average if they go with Cam Newton.

“I expect them to move up. It’s been an unprecedented, weird offseason for (Belichick) anyway. We’ve never seen the Patriots go out and spend the money that they have in free agency. And if they don’t get a quarterback, they’re not answering any of the questions of their future at that position.”

With New England attending several quarterback pro days over the past couple of weeks, drafting at the position is not out of the question. The pre-draft scouting at the position could indicate that they are planning for the future there.

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Rob Ninkovich details why the Patriots didn’t win the Super Bowl in 2007

If it wasn’t for this, Tom Brady could potentially have seven rings to show off.

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Everyone who watched football thought the New England Patriots would win the Super Bowl in 2007.

Tom Brady was in his prime and the addition of Randy Moss helped cultivate one of the most potent offenses in NFL history. Brady had the regular season record 50 touchdowns and Moss broke the regular season record for receivers with 23 touchdowns. The defense was unreal and everything clicked, except in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

There was too much pressure to have the perfect season and the Patriots couldn’t pull it off. After defeating the Baltimore Ravens this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers are heading down the same path. Pittsburgh is 11-0 and they have three formidable teams ahead on the schedule.

According to former Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich, the Steelers should lose a game to alleviate pressure in the playoffs.

“I felt that pressure relieve,” Ninkovich said on ESPN’s Get Up. “Because a perfect season doesn’t mean anything unless you win the Super Bowl.

“That 2007 Patriot team, I feel, If they would have lost maybe one game in the regular season and didn’t have that pressure of being perfect going into the playoffs, I think they would have won the Super Bowl.”

That pressure could be daunting for players.

“But they’re starting to creep up into that high-pressure, undefeated season status and at 11-0 it’s gonna start coming on real hard and fast right now.”

With the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills ahead, it’s hard to imagine a 16-0 finish for Pittsburgh.

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Former Patriots speak in depth about the light-hearted, fun side of Bill Belichick

“Coach is absolutely fantastic – every year during the holidays, he sends us gifts and baskets and really nice chocolates.”

Bill Belichick is infamously known for his monotone voice and harsh demeanor. He’s not the most friendly of coaches when it comes to time with the media and he doesn’t necessarily wear his emotions on his sleeve.

There’s a side to him that the public doesn’t always see and it’s refreshing to know he’s human also. Belichick grew up with a military mentality and it has led to six Super Bowl wins as a head coach and more success than any other coach in NFL history.

NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran released a new podcast episode titled, ‘The Bill Belichick You Don’t Know’ on Thursday. It features a slew of former Patriots and their own respective stories about Belichick.

These stories were transcribed by Boston.com’s Deyscha Smith.

Rodney Harrison:

“Coach is absolutely fantastic – every year during the holidays, he sends us gifts and baskets and really nice chocolates. He’s an easy-going guy; conversations are always light; he doesn’t really take himself too serious, as much as other people think that he’s this really serious guy; he’s caring; he’s just an open relaxed guy. I got a great relationship with him.”

Charlie Weiss:

“He’s actually very very funny, that would shock the people of New England. He’s got a good sense of humor. It’s just that that’s not him the football coach. That’s him the person, and he’s always been able to divide church and state. I mean this is the same guy that’s close friends with Bon Jovi, he’s the same guy that me and him were at a charity event for my charity and we’re singing background to ‘Wanted Dead Or Alive.’  So, I mean it’s the same guy — there’s him the football coach and there’s him when he’s not the football coach.

“I think that in the world we live in unfortunately, with cell phones and everyone videoing everything you do, you really got to be on your guard to live a more quiet, anonymous type of lifestyle when you’re away from football.”

Rob Ninkovich:

“I think it was 2009, it was my first year there and you have a general idea of Bill as a young guy coming onto the team. There’s a little bit of fear of, ‘You don’t want to get him angry or do you anything [because] you could get cut easily,’ he’s got the power to do all.

The year we played Tennessee … I’m walking out after the game, walking to my truck and all of a sudden, a snowball comes flying in, and I’m like, ‘Who the heck is throwing snowballs?’ And it was Bill throwing snowballs at guys. It was just kind of funny, Bill Belichick throwing snowballs at people. I’m sure he was super pumped because we had won by a lot and it was snowing.

It was just kind of a fun moment where you were like, ‘He’s not so bad…he’s not so bad.’ I threw a snowball back — but it was one of those moments where it was like, make sure you don’t hit him.”

Martellus Bennett:

“For me, Bill [and I] are very cool. It was different, we had a very talkative relationship, I talked to him about a lot of things. There were moments when I was going through something and I needed some advice, and Bill is a guy that I would turn [to] and ask what he thought.

“Bill is a really great, straightforward guy, and that’s what I like about him the most. And he’s really funny. [He’s like] Larry David, like “Curb Your Enthusiasm”…that’s how Bill is. You can’t really explain the humor, you have to be in the room when it happens.”

Matt Cassell:

“I remember one time we’re sitting in the meeting room, and he was critiquing Asante Samuel and he said, ‘Okay!’ That’s it Asante, hit him with a pillow. Let’s throw marshmallows at him sometime.’ There’s that sarcastic, funny humor that a lot of people are scared to death to even smile during those meetings because you’re like, ‘I could be the next one up on that film study.’

“Sometimes you’ll even see him crack a grin after he says something like that.”

Shane Vereen:

“He has such a dry sense of humor and it’s hilarious, he’ll compare plays to funny situations that have nothing to do with football.

“Before we go on long breaks, before we go for summer vacation or after season, he likes to pull up news reports of other NFL players who made poor decisions in the offseason, just a little reminder [and] bug in our ear of what we should not be doing.

“He would go over the reports and he’d have us guess as to what time of the day these things happened, what do [we] think these guys are in the news for, and then he’ll always leave us with, ‘Stay off the [blank], bottom line. Stay off the ticker, the ESPN ticker, that bottom line that goes across your screen.’”

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Rob Ninokovich thinks Cam Newton could start Patriots season as third-string QB

“You have to come out here and earn the trust of everybody in the locker room.”

The assumption for Cam Newton and the New England Patriots is that he immediately takes the starting role.

Newton, 31, is a former MVP and adamantly stated this offseason that he wants play for a team where he’ll be the starter. These factors alone put him above second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer on the depth chart. The combination of experience, leadership and raw talent on the field put him leaps and bounds in front of the next two options, especially with the attempt of replacing Tom Brady.

With the way Bill Belichick runs things in New England, the starter won’t be announced until the season is right around the corner. Predictions and assumptions will be the only way to size the situation up until then.

Former Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich gave his opinion on ESPN’s NFL Live.

“He’s got to earn the starting position before he can win more games than Tom Brady,” Ninkovich said, transcribed by 24/7 Sports. “Look, the Patriots aren’t going to just make him the starting quarterback instantly. His contract that he signed is basically coming in, ‘hey look. Earn it.’ … He might be the third-string quarterback when he comes in. He might be behind Stidham and Brian Hoyer.”

“Look, they’re going to test him physically and mentally. They’re going to say, ‘come in here. You’re new to this system. You’re new to this building. You have to come out here and earn the trust of everybody in the locker room.’ Earn the trust of your teammates, and see how he reacts to that. Put him in at third string and he’s pouting around and doesn’t take hold of the reins and grab leadership roles. You don’t know how people are going to react. The Patriots are going to put people through tests.”

“They’re going to test you physically, mentally. How do you respond to certain situations? Cam has never been in a spot where he had to fight for a starting role. Now he’s going to go into a competition. Competition brings out the best in every player on that roster. He is not a first-round pick anymore. He’s not a highly-guaranteed money player anymore. He’s coming in to compete, and we’ll see what happens. He first has to earn the starting job.”

After spending eight seasons in New England, Ninkovich knows better than most people. His theory makes complete sense and there’s no doubt the Patriots will test Newton in every way possible.

But, it’s difficult to believe the former MVP and very capable player in Newton won’t grab the starting role with ease.

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Ex-Patriot says Joe Judge, Patrick Graham won’t be outworked

Former New England Patriots LB Rob Ninkovich says the New York Giants have a pair of hard-working coaches in Joe Judge and Patrick Graham.

When the New York Giants hired Joe Judge to be their head coach and Patrick Graham was chosen as defensive coordinator, the team brought in a pair of coaches who are going to work extremely hard to right the ship.

And that was confirmed by former New England Patriots linebacker and special teamer, Rob Ninkovich, who raved about Judge and Graham’s “tremendous work ethic” while appearing on the “Giants Huddle Podcast.”

Ninkovich spent eight seasons with the Patriots and played under both Graham, who held multiple roles on the Pats’ defensive coaching staff from 2009-2015, and Judge, who was a special teams assistant and then coordinator and wide receivers coach during his tenure from 2012-2019.

“Well, I think they have a tremendous work ethic,” Ninkovich said. “I was with Pat a long time. Me and Pat are very close and good friends. He helped me a lot in my career because he was so thorough in everything that he did in preparation. Same with Joe Judge. Joe Judge is going to be a guy that’s first in, last guy out. He’ll probably sleep there four or five nights a week. I know that sounds crazy, but he’s that into it. Same with Pat. Those guys, they’re not going to leave any stone unturned when it comes to preparation.”

The Giants have been lacking discipline ever since the departure of Tom Coughlin, but that shouldn’t be an issue in the Judge and Graham era, as Ninkovich points out the coaches will certainly hold players accountable.

“Coach Graham and Joe Judge are going to hold guys accountable, which is very much so needed in the NFL. You have to be accountable. You have to be expected to play at a high level week in and week out,” he said.

Accountability is important for any team, but even more so for a younger group like the Giants have now.

Thanks to Judge and Graham, the Giants are primed to have a team that focuses on work ethic, discipline and accountability — and that’s music to the ears of Big Blue’s fans.

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Rob Ninkovich debunks suggestion Patriots will be better without Tom Brady

“I don’t think the Patriots are in a better place without Tom Brady.”

There has been significant discussion about how the New England Patriots offense might look without Tom Brady. And though Brady is the greatest quarterback ever, he is also 42 years old and appeared to show signs of decline, even with the offense centered around his strengths.

Brady has made a habit of elevating the play of those around him, but he couldn’t seem to do that in 2019. The question in New England is whether the Patriots may throw out the idea that their quarterback can pull everything together. Instead, they’ll let that quarterback — likely Jarrett Stidham — facilitate an offense that highlights other players.

But that offense will not be better than one which includes Brady, according to former Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich.

” … Look, you had a Hall of Fame quarterback for a very long time and in the quarterback position — if you have a great quarterback — their job is to make everybody better,” Ninkovich said on ESPN”s “Get Up.” “Their job is to check the offense into the best possible play against the defense. You talk about throwaways, that just means nobody was open and the quarterback was doing the smart thing and throwing the ball away. You get into a situation with a young quarterback, he might try to force the situation. The No. 1 way to lose in the NFL is turnovers. So if you don’t take care of the football, you don’t throw the ball away in situations you’re supposed to throw the ball away, you create turnovers. That’s how you lose. That’s losing football.

“It’s hard for me to think the Patriots are going to be better without Tom Brady. You talk about running the football. Yeah, if you’re not playing from ahead and you don’t have the lead, you can’t just run the football over and over and over again. You have to play from ahead to run the football. I don’t think the Patriots are in a better place without Tom Brady.”

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