Patriots QB Mac Jones 'Energized' by Bill O'Brien?
So far, so good
The New England this off-season desperately need to restore the confidence and performance of quarterback Max Jones.
"Confident. Leading like we know he can," was a quote provided to NFL insider Mike Giardi describing Jones' performance in the lead-up to the beginning of OTAs Monday.
The news surrounding Jones this offseason hasn't all been positive. Actually, for the most part, it seems anytime the third-year signal-caller was in the headlines, it was about a potential trade or a disconnect between him and head coach Bill Belichick.
Yet, with OTAs representing one of the final stages of the offseason before the start of training camp, the trade rumors about Jones can be put to rest, at least for now. Despite Belichick telling the media at the NFL Owners' Meeting that every job is up for grabs, a coaching cliche, Jones is the odds-on favorite to be the starting quarterback come the fall, and they will need him back at his best.
Last season was rough for all involved on the Patriots, maybe none more than Jones, whose working relationship with offensive play-caller Matt Patricia never got going like the struggle some offense. The poor working relationship between Jones and Patricia even began to show on the field as the former first-round pick publicly expressed his frustrations on the field as the season progressed.
Yet, the dysfunction of last year's offense is in the past, as hiring proven coordinator Bill O'Brien has brought new energy to Jones. Giardi reported that O'Brien's presence has "energized" Jones, who wants to "remind" fans of what made him so promising as a rookie.
These three tidbits from Giardi are all good signs of "turning the page" from a sophomore slump of a season for Jones. If the Patriots hope to avoid missing the playoffs for the second-straight year, getting Jones back to where he was under offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels will be crucial.
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