Patriots
It was a tough 12 months, positive, however it’s far too early to surrender on Mac Jones.
I’m going to say it proper right here and proper now, as a result of I imagine it and plenty of of you don’t, and I would like it on document for when this goes my approach.
In his third NFL season, Mac Jones will show past a doubt that he’s the reply for the Patriots at quarterback.
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No, he’ll by no means match the spotlight reels of Josh Allen or Joe Burrow, not to mention Patrick Mahomes, and we’re by no means going to marvel at his Madden scores. He’s decidedly in the midst of the quarterback pack when it comes to pure bodily capability. There are limitations, positive.
But it surely was really easy to neglect throughout his misplaced second season — when he was inexplicable saddled with and undermined by an offensive coordinator who had no expertise or, because it turned out, acumen in that position — that we all know what it appears to be like like when he performs effectively.
Assume again to Jones’s rookie 12 months, how he confidently seized the job from Cam Newton in coaching camp, went toe-to-toe with Tom Brady in essentially the most hyped regular-season recreation I can recall (save for possibly the undefeated Bears matchup with the Dolphins in 1985), and led the Patriots to a string of routs throughout a seven-game profitable streak.
He performed with sufficient command to have the Patriots at 9-4 going into the bye earlier than … effectively, earlier than one thing nonetheless unexplained occurred throughout that bye week, and the Patriots stumbled into the playoffs with a 10-7 document earlier than shedding by 30 to the Payments within the wild-card spherical.
I do know our perspective right here is all out of whack after watching Brady work his magic for twenty years, however a rookie quarterback profitable 10 video games whereas demonstrating full command of the offense was a powerful feat. Jones confirmed — past a doubt, actually — that he can play quarterback at a excessive stage within the NFL.
After all, it’s simple to miss and even flat-out neglect that now as a result of his second season was such a debacle, little or no of which was his fault. Any debates concerning the biggest coaches in NFL historical past should start with who’s in second place, as a result of Invoice Belichick is clearly the most effective. However that is additionally true: Belichick failed his younger quarterback final season in a approach that bordered on malpractice.
Essentially the most precious asset in skilled sports activities is a succesful younger quarterback on his rookie contract. When you’ve one, you’re not solely getting a cut price on the most important and highest-paid place, however you can also use that financial savings to load up the roster in different areas. A high quality quarterback on a rookie deal is a present, and you need to do every little thing you may to verify he has the instruments to thrive.
So what did Belichick do final 12 months? Is it too harsh to say he arrange Jones to fail? Sure, it’s. There’s no approach he would do such a factor intentionally. However Belichick himself failed Jones by appointing Matt Patricia offensive coordinator after Josh McDaniels left. (Hiring Joe Decide as quarterbacks coach was no genius transfer, both.)
Trusting Patricia, who made his bones as an NFL coach on protection, to guide the offense was curious. Coaching camp was not but over when it already was clearly a debacle. Patricia, as abrasive as he will be, is extraordinarily good, and Belichick figured he’d zip via the training curve. As a substitute, he crashed on the first flip, and stored crashing all season.
Patricia merely couldn’t do the job, and on reflection, placing a promising quarterback’s future within the fingers of a know-it-all coach who was a relative novice at teaching offense was Belichick’s worst choice since benching Malcolm Butler in Tremendous Bowl LII.
After all Jones couldn’t construct on that promising rookie season. He had no likelihood. Jones didn’t all the time deal with the circumstances effectively — his on-field anger and frustration typically got here throughout as petulance — however I’m unsure it’s honest to have anticipated him to conduct himself with grace.
It was a ridiculous scenario, exacerbated by the best way Belichick jerked him round in a loss to the Bears upon a in all probability untimely return from a calf damage. I can’t recall one other circumstance the place an excellent head coach undermined his promising younger quarterback within the methods Belichick did final season.
Final season ought to have been about constructing on that encouraging rookie season. As a substitute, it went so badly that a good portion of followers — a few of whom desperately purchased into the mirage of backup Bailey Zappe — have forgotten what it appears to be like like when Jones has an opportunity and performs effectively.
Getting into his make-or-break third season, Jones has an opportunity once more. Invoice O’Brien is on board as offensive coordinator, and even when he’s nothing greater than competent, he will likely be an enormous improve on Patricia. A scheme that performs to Jones’s strengths (how about much more play-action?) will likely be a breath of contemporary air in contrast with Patricia’s let’s-run-Rhamondre-Stevenson-into-the-ground scheme.
No younger quarterback may have succeeded in final 12 months’s joke-without-a-punch-line circumstances. Presuming Jones isn’t broken by the expertise — and he doesn’t strike me as a Tony Eason kind — I count on him to lastly construct on his rookie 12 months this season and ensure past a doubt that he’s the fitting quarterback for the Patriots.
As for final 12 months, if he can neglect about that mess, we will too.