Mac Jones’ Plan To Improve Patriots Offense?
FOXBORO — From qualified experts to self-professed social media connoisseurs, everyone seems to have an opinion on how to fix the New England Patriots ailing offense.
While each ‘gridiron guru’ believes to have found the team’s secret for success, the only judgment which truly matters is that of those within the Pats locker room.
In fact, quarterback Mac Jones is confident that his team has what it takes to get back on track, starting with the Pats’ upcoming Monday night matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
"At the end of the day we are where we are," Jones told reporters on Thursday afternoon. "It's kind of a new season here and it starts with this one against the Cardinals and that's what we're going to focus on. We just have to go out there and compete and win. That's what it's all about, whatever we've got to do to figure out how to win, practice that way, prepare that way and then obviously play that way."
At 6-6, New England continues to straddle the sill of the playoff window. Though Monday night’s game may not be a mathematical must-win, time is running thin for the Pats to qualify for the postseason.
To put it mildly, the Patriots have struggled to put points on the board in 2022. The team currently ranks 24th in total offense (318.9 yards per game), has a mere 37.5 percent success-rate in the red zone and an unimpressive 36.2 percent third-down conversion rate, placing them at 25th in the NFL.
Though the blame for New England’s offensive woes deserves to be laid at multiple doorsteps, their issues with play-calling have put offensive line coach Matt Patricia in the crosshairs. The frustration seemed to reach its crescendo in the closing moments of last Thursday’s 24-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, when Jones was caught by cameras during an expletive-laden tirade, believed to be directed at the Pats offensive coaching staff.
Even though the relationship may occasionally be contentious, Jones is confident that he, his teammates and his coaches are ready, willing and able to produce positive results.
“I think we all know that as players, we can play a lot better and execute better and do all the things better,” Jones said. “You always have the things you want to get better at and then plan to fix them or get better at them. It’s a constant grind and battle with it. A lot of it is fundamentals … We’ve got to finish strong. We have the guys to do it, we have the coaches to do it and it starts with this week.”
Accordingly, the Patriots return to the practice field on Friday as they continue their preparations for their Week 14 matchup with the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Monday night Dec. 12. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET.
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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