Mac Jones’ offseason is starting strong.
He represents the New England Patriots as an alternate quarterback for the American Football Conference (AFC) in the Pro Bowl.
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Jones earned the opportunity after tossing for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns. He helped the Patriots to the playoffs at 10-7 and recorded seven games with a passer rating of 100 or higher. National media pundits questioned his arm strength during the 2021 NFL Draft process, but Jones looked impressive in Thursday’s Pro Bowl skills showdown. He won the “Thread the Needle” challenge for the AFC. Jones ripped balls through holes against two of the best cornerbacks in the National Football League.
He competed against Darius Slay and Trevon Diggs – his former teammate at Alabama.
.@MacJones_10 with the W for the AFC in Thread the Needle!#ProBowlSkills Showdown, live now on @espn. pic.twitter.com/UUPms1wfzE
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 4, 2022
Jones hit the hole on three straight passes by Slay and Diggs to give AFC a 12-11 victory over NFC in the challenge. He had fun in the Precision Passing challenge, scoring eight points. Jones will play in Sunday’s Pro Bowl from Las Vegas at 2 p.m. CT via ESPN.
He set a Patriots’ rookie record for completion percentage (67.6), passing yards, touchdowns, passer rating (92.5) as a quarterback. New England fans enjoyed watching Jones in the skills showdown, but it will be exciting to see his development in year two.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
