Hi everyone,
Lifelong Pats fan here. I’ve turned to Reddit because many of the Patriot X accounts have become unbearable with the BB and Mac slander. I agree with criticism where criticism is due (like taking Mac out on the 2 minute drill where he won the game against BUF a few short weeks ago), but it’s just felt like rumor mills, speciation, and hate (which, I get. The last few years have been tough for many of us spoiled from 2001-2018). No hate, but that’s not the content I want.
I have a question though: why has Pats Nation seemingly gone so anti-Mac Jones and BB? Why haven’t we taken a similar approach to Miami fans with their Tuanon stuff? Of course it’s probably not Tuanon that elevated his game (having a top 5 all time WR doesn’t hurt), but having positive fan sentiment probably helped, especially with the mental stuff.
If I were in the drivers seat, I think I would like us to take a similar approach the Jets tried this year. Bring in Kirk Cousins on a 2-3 year deal to give Mac time to develop and rebuild confidence, draft a true WR1 (Marvin Harrison Jr.), re-solidify our offensive line, and retain our defense (who has done fairly well this year, even without Judon and Gonzo)
I’m just one person though, and I know there’s a lot going on here, so I’d love to get more than my perspective on these issues facings Pats Nation.
Mac is in my opinion a great backup but hasn’t proven to be a starter. Maybe with a better team that could change.
I am of the opinion that the Patriots broke Mac. I think there’s a reality where they don’t make Patricia the OC, they bring in someone competent, invest in the OL, bring in playmakers, don’t totally fuck the 2022 draft, and Mac is a competent and capable QB.
But none of that happened and instead the reality is that Mac’s time in NE is over. He needs to go somewhere else to have a chance at a career and the Patriots need to go in a different direction.
Best part about this post….
“I want us to do what the Jets did…”
This fan base is all fucked up.
I mean strategically, is that not a valid statement to make? Sign a proven vet and let the young QB develop behind the scenes?
Granted, Kirk isn’t Aaron, but he’s still a high B-tier QB
You are seeming to leave out the part where they drafted a whole crap ton of talented players at positions across the field. It is never just “sign this one guy”.
People in this sub keep being up SF and how Jimmy G suddenly made them AN SB TEAM. No. They drafted their asses off and developed that team.
The Pats are NOT a “one guy away” team. The OL is a mess. The WR room is a mess. the TE’s are decent but both are free agents and people here counter with “they have the money to sign them”. Yeah. IF they want to spend it and IF the players want to sign here! Both those guys may say “eff this place”. The Defense is good-ish. They have some good players but none are all pro.
And to be perfectly honest I think you are missing my point. When a Pats fan is pointing to the Jets and saying “be like them”. THAT is a world turned upside down. It’s effing crazy talk.
In terms of Mac specifically, it’s all on the field. Tua showed a baseline level of ability even when he was struggling. He had less than ideal circumstances, but still showed good talent. I remember when they almost beat the Chiefs in 2020. I thought it was nuts that people didn’t believe he’d be good. He just showed a certain baseline level of talent that Mac hasn’t shown. So, if you’re Mac and you don’t have that level of athletic ability; you better at least not make a ton of bad decisions. Mac has objectively made horrendous decisions. I would say that fans tend to overreact, but this is different. His own coaches and people within the organization have lost patience. He’s actually doing things that are beyond the pale that have directly influenced the losing in the last two games. Teddy Bruschi said something interesting about how this reminded him of Bledsoe at the end where the performance gets the ENTIRE DEFENSE DOWN and you ask yourself, “what else can I do if this guy is just going to screw it up?" I am paraphrasing, but it was something along those lines. Even Devin McCourty said before the season that half of the locker room wanted Zappe.
For one, I fully understand being fed up with the Twitter X crowed. Secondly, I agree that fans tend to overreact. Third, I can even agree that the BB hate could be irrational. However, Mac is objectively bad and is losing the support of teammates and the organization. Fans not being thrilled to have him on the team is not an overreaction. I think it’s illogical to say that fans simply getting behind him is going to fix this. There are rational reasons to not believe he’s going to be the QB for the Pats going forward and that’s completely due to his own poor performances.
It’s also time to end the bandaid solutions at QB. This team is going to be drafting in the top 3 potentially if the QB play doesn’t improve. It’s questionable if a top free agent would even want to come to the Pats. People just assume Cousins or someone will come. That’s not promised. Why would Cousins want to come, and can he actually elevate a team in this shape where the margin of error is slim? You draft someone like Drake Maye or Caleb Williams and you develop them within the system to play within themselves and not make mistakes, and grow over time. I do think it’s time to stop playing around with the bandaid fixes and it’s time to just draft an elite talent and build them up to minimize mistakes and then develop from there. Mac is not that guy. He doesn’t take to coaching according to the reports and it shows on the field. He said it himself before the season, “I’m just trying to be like Alabama Mac again.” And that comment tells you everything you need to know about where his head is and why he shouldn’t be the QB. A grown man in the NFL trying to return to his college years is… not living in reality or what you expect from a professional at that position. So, he tries to be “Alabama Mac” which has resulted in him trying to do too much, leading the league in picks, and costing the team the past two games. This is not comparable to Tua his first couple of years. I’ve had teammates from Indiana in the NFL and I’ve never heard guys like Tevin Coleman who had a great college career say, “man, I just want to be Indiana Tevin again.” No serious professional says these things and it shows Mac has to develop some level of maturity to be the starter somewhere. I think the Rams and getting with McVay might be his best fit. Maybe the 49ers take a flyer on him, but they seem to have their QB.