Patriots OL ‘Likes’ QB Change: Brady Over Mac?
FOXBORO — As music legend Andy Williams’ once sang, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”
Anticipation is high and excitement is everywhere. Bright lights illuminate almost every street within sight. In short, everyone seems to be in a festive mood.
However, for the New England Patriots and quarterback Mac Jones, December has not been abundantly joyous.
The Pats have dropped two of three games this month, with their most recent loss coming in embarrassing fashion to the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday. In the process, they have fallen to eighth place in the AFC playoff picture.
Unsurprisingly, Patriots fans and media alike have been clamoring for changes to be made — including at the quarterback position.
In fact, New England’s starting left tackle Trent Brown appeared to endorse such a change by liking a recent social media post, suggesting that the team entertain the idea of reuniting with former quarterbacks Tom Brady or Jimmy Garoppolo in the offseason.
So … where does that leave current starting quarterback Mac Jones?
With the possible exception of offensive play-caller Matt Patricia, Jones has been the most frequent target of the fanbase’s frustration.
For the majority of the season, the second-year quarterback has struggled to maintain his presence in the pocket, often finding himself under duress. Teams having the most success against Jones have been those who have deployed pressurized blitzes from the second and third level of the defense. With defenders swarming him at an alarming rate, the 24-year-old has frequently been confused in his drop backs. The pressure has caused him to open the top of his drop in the wrong direction; leading to accuracy issues and suspect decision-making.
Through three games played in December, Jones has completed 59 of 102 passes (57.8 percent) for 542 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Jones’ tribulations seemed to reach their lowest point during Sunday’s 30-24 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Alabama product had one of the worst games of his NFL career, completing 13 of 31 for 112 yards. Save for a 39-yard completion to receiver Jakobi Meyers in the fourth-quarter, Jones would have averaged a mere 2.4 yards-per-pass, as opposed to his final median of 3.6.
In fact, Jones’ problems in the passing game may have factored into the Pats offensive coaching staff calling a draw play in the final moments of their Week 15 loss.
When asked if the Patriots would have considered a ‘Hail Mary’ (which would have required Jones to throw a near 60-yard pass for a last second score) coach Bill Belichick responded by saying:
“Taking a shot at the end zone? We couldn’t throw it that far.”
The rest, as they say, will live infamously in Patriots lore.
While Jones must shoulder a notable amount of blame for his struggles, questionable play-calling and inadequate protection along the offensive line have clearly made his job more difficult. Ironically, Brown’s subpar season has significantly contributed to Jones’ regression. The veteran lineman has committed seven costly penalties, while being credited with allowing nine sacks, and seven quarterback hits.
Still, before the winds of rumored dissension begin to swirl throughout the region, a mere social media ‘like’ is not enough to condemn the trust between Jones and his teammates. However, it does sow the seedlings of uncertainty surrounding the Patriots offense beyond this season. If the Pats are to right the offensive ship, it will take a collective effort … and the process for correcting it must begin now.
At 7-7, New England must now face the daunting task of turning the page and moving forward as they prepare for their Week 16 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium.
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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