5 takeaways from Mac Jones and Rhamondre Stevenson's NFL debuts

In the pre-season game against the Washington Football Team, two new rookies got the chance to impress for the New England Patriots.

After losing legendary quarterback Tom Brady, the New England Patriots picked Mac Jones in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, with Rhamondre Stevenson following the QB as a fourth-round pick.

It's never easy for rookies to come into an NFL game and impress, but both Mac Jones and Rhamondre Stevenson did just that earlier this week.

#Patriots win 22-13. Rhamondre Stevenson 117 yards and 2 TDs. Mac Jones 13 of 19, 87 yards. Article coming on @FPC_Patriots and @GruntTalksNFL

— G.T Bobby Thompson (@BThomps81) August 13, 2021

Here are five things we learned from the rookies' first NFL outings.

What we learned from Mac Jones and Rhamondre Stevenson's first day on the job

#1 - Mac Jones and Cam Newton's competition for QB spot heats up

Going into the game, all the talk was about whether Mac Jones had supplanted Cam Newton as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots. The fans were no closer to a conclusion come the end of the game. Mac Jones threw some good routes and came back strong from a play that was ruled an incompletion.

However, it will take some time before he gets the starting job.

#2 - Mac Jones does the basics right and keeps the chains moving

The great thing about Mac Jones was that he eschewed fancy plays when not required and kept the chains moving. This has been a hallmark of the New England Patriots under the Bill Belichick era.

In a third-and-six situation, he did not panic and simply threw an outside route to Kristian Wilkerson for a first down.

.@MacJones_10' first completion as a pro goes for a first down!📺: #WASvsNE on @nflnetwork (or check your local listings)📱: https://t.co/QXoNWCGPHr pic.twitter.com/jflvL4aW90

— NFL (@NFL) August 13, 2021

#3 - Mac Jones does a mean play fake

Mac Jones used the play fake to good effect in his first outing as an NFL QB. In a completion to Kendrick Bourne, he used play action to bamboozle the Washington defense and open up space behind the linebackers. The release was quick and perfectly spaced so that the initial play fake did not go to waste.

Expect him to use this tool in the future.

#4 - Rhamondre Stevenson is not just a big guy

Ever since he was drafted, Rhamondre Stevenson has garnered a reputation for being a bruiser. The expectation from him was that he would ruffle up defenses with his running and create first downs. Against the WFT, he showed he is much more than that. He has good balance and nimble footwork to go with his size.

.@Patriots rookie RB Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 127 yards and 2 TDs on his debut, including this one for 91 yards 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YHCfAIr7Wj

— Sportskeeda Pro Football (@SKProFootball) August 13, 2021

#5 - Rhamondre Stevenson expands the offensive options

What Rhamondre Stevenson scoring two touchdowns and winning the game for the New England Patriots means is they now have a running game they can rely on instead of always having to go for passing options.

The coaching staff should work to incorporate these options in the coming weeks.