Patriots quarterback Mac Jones faces sky-high expectations after stellar rookie season
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones had extremely high expectations during his rookie season, but the pressure is about to get even heavier.
Jones, who helped the Patriots to a 10-7 record and playoff berth this season, was as lauded for his rookie accomplishments as he was for his shortcomings. How optimistic should New England be moving forward?
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Patriots head coach Bill Belichick placed unprecedented pressure on Jones by taking him in the first round of the NFL Draft (15th overall) — the first time Belichick ever drafted a quarterback that early during his 22 years with New England. Combine that with the inevitable comparisons of Jones to Tom Brady during his rookie season in 2000.
The results? Mixed.
Jones, 23, threw for 3,801 yards this season — more yards than Kyler Murray and Ryan Tannehill, but less than Jimmy Garoppolo and Matt Ryan. He had a 67.6 completion percentage, which was better than Brady and Matthew Stafford. However, it was worse than Tua Tagovailoa and Derek Carr.
Lastly, his 92.5 quarterback rating was higher than Josh Allen and Jared Goff, but lower than Carson Wentz and Teddy Bridgewater.
Although statistics painted Jones as a middle-of-the-pack quarterback, he outperformed his rookie peers in a number of categories and was steady across the board.
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Jones led all rookies in yardage and touchdowns. He surpassed Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance and Justin Fields. Each quarterback was selected ahead of him in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Jones won't get the benefit of the doubt during his second season. However, there's reason to believe Jones' numbers will improve.
Allen is a strong comparison. The Bills signal-caller, who is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, passed for 1,700 fewer yards and threw 12 fewer touchdowns than Jones during his 2018 rookie season.
“It’s been impressive," Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers said of Jones' progress. "It’s not an easy position to play or an easy team to play for. The way he came in as a rookie and played, you got to give him a round of applause.”
Still, the Patriots typically kept things conservative with Jones at the helm. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels settled into a habit of calling quick pass plays for Jones and found success early in the season. When teams took those options away down the stretch, however, the Patriots' offense struggled to find a rhythm.
Despite the Patriots' embarrassing 47-17 loss Saturday to the Buffalo Bills, Jones still showed signs of effectiveness. Jones had the second-best AGG% — a stat that measures aggressiveness by tracking the amount of passing attempts a quarterback makes into tight coverage — of the 12 qualified quarterbacks who played during Wild Card Weekend. He completed more than 18% of those throws, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
The Patriots were unable to establish a run game against the Bills and allowed a touchdown on their first seven defensive possessions. Jones never really had a chance to compete in the game.
"It's a long season, man, and I'm proud of Mac," Patriots tight end Hunter Henry said this week. "We didn't play like we wanted to the other night. We honestly didn't play well down the stretch like we wanted to, but the biggest thing from this is how we grow. Obviously, we got a lot better throughout the year."
Both Henry and Meyers emerged as Jones' favorite targets this season, but the pressure is mounting on Belichick to improve the supporting cast on offense.
Longtime Patriots coach Dante Scarnecchia, who worked in New England for 34 years before retiring in 2019, recently told the Boston Herald that Jones needs a bona fide, chain-moving receiver.
Gone are the days of Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker in New England. The Patriots' current cast of pass-catchers — which includes disappointing free-agent Jonnu Smith and Nelson Agholor — simply doesn't stack up with other AFC contenders, such as the Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans.
Still, New England players hope they're building a solid foundation.
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During the waning moments of Saturday's blowout loss in Buffalo, Jones was observed by TV cameras high-fiving his despondent teammates on the sideline. Eventually, Jones stopped at Henry as the two embraced in the freezing cold.
"I'm excited to grow with him this offseason," Henry said. "Grow together in our relationship. Grow together in our chemistry. Excited to have him as my quarterback.
"He has 18 — with preseason, 20 — games under his belt now. You can't take that lightly. That's huge for him."
That experience will also fuel the criticisms against Jones next season and beyond. With the training wheels off, there will be less forgiveness for Jones' mistakes and more pressure for him to cement himself as a franchise quarterback.