He has not started his second season in the National Football League with the New England Patriots well, but Mac Jones has not been placed in the right situations to succeed.
New England lost long-time offensive coordinator Josh McDaniel to the Las Vegas Raiders as a head coach.
RELATED: Patriots name Mac Jones the starter for Sunday despite quarterback rotation
The Patriots have a defensive mind (Matt Patricia) and a special teams coach (Joe Judge) running the offense.
Patricia and Judge have used different schemes for Jones and Bailey Zappe. Jones has six interceptions to two touchdowns this season; however, the play-calling for Zappe has him with five touchdowns to three picks. Jones cannot afford to have turnovers, but he led the Patriots to the playoffs in 2021 and made the NFL Pro Bowl. The former Alabama quarterback set franchise rookie records for passing yards (3,801) and passing touchdowns (22). Jones made the NFL’s Top 100 Players for 2022 by his peers in the league. People are clamoring for Zappe to be New England’s starter, but the veteran players love Jones.
Alex Barth, who covers the Patriots for 98.5 The Sports Hub, Hunter Henry wants Jones as the starter.
Hunter Henry on Mac Jones: “He’s a leader man. That’s why we named him a captain.”
— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) October 27, 2022
“He’s a leader man,” the Patriots tight end said about Jones. “That’s why we named him a captain.”
Matthew Slater is one of the most-tenured Patriots on the team. He provided a glowing statement on how Jones has handled the situation between him and Zappe.
Matthew Slater on Mac Jones: “I think he’s done a tremendous job in terms of being a leader for this team & how he’s handled it” pic.twitter.com/oBychDMJ3x
— NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) October 26, 2022
“I think he has done a tremendous job of being a leader for this team,” Slater said about Jones. “He has handled it in a very professional manner. You say ‘he put on a face when he came out,’ I think that’s who he is. I think he is mature enough to handle the situation as best as he can. He has been a good teammate through it all. I think because of that, you don’t get a sense of division. Kudos to him for the way he has handled it. Our job as a team is to focus on doing our jobs better.”
Jones has certainly not lost the locker room. He has to play better as the Patriots are 3-4, but he has an opportunity to respond Sunday against the New York Jets. Jones will take on Zach Wilson who came in the 2021 quarterback class with him in the draft.
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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.
