The Facts: Speaking to the media on Sunday, OC Josh McDaniels was asked if he knows who the Week 1 starter will be and if there’s a timeline to make that choice. But McDaniels essentially stated the status quo -- Newton is the starter for now. “I know this is going to sound silly, but I haven’t really worried about it,” McDaniels said. “I think that decision from Bill [Belichick] will be made when the time is right to make it. Cam certainly is the starter now, and he has done a good job. He has gone in there, he played well the other night. He’s practiced well. But, I know those guys are really competing hard and we’re giving them an opportunity to compete and play a lot of football. ..."

Diehards Line: The Patriots appear to have a pair of viable options to start at quarterback in Newton and rookie Mac Jones. Both performed well in New England’s second preseason matchup against Philadelphia on Thursday. Newton completed 8-of-9 passes for 103 yards with a touchdown. Jones finished 13-of-19 for 146 yards, leading three scoring drives. ... So there is still no guarantee that Newton will be the Patriots’ QB1 to open the season. But what appears unlikely is the possibility that New England could play both quarterbacks. McDaniels was asked about that on Sunday and said, “I haven’t thought about it at all. ...” We shall see.