It’s widely believed that Mac Jones had a great rookie year, and it was the Judge/Patricia year that broke him and now 2023 has fully shattered what was once a promising QB. Awful O-line, bad coaching, brick-handed receivers there’s always a litany of excuses but I want to go back to December 18, 2021.
The Patriots rolled into Lucas Oil Stadium for a showdown with the Colts for a Saturday Night prime time game. This is where Mac’s career began to nose dive
BEFORE DECEMBER 18
Patriots with Mac at QB had a record of 9-4 and were atop the AFC. All was right in the world.
Mac’s stats:
220 Yards per Game, 16 TDs, 8 INT, 2:1 TD to INT ratio.
AFTER DECEMBER 18
Patriots have a total record in Mac Jones starts of 9-19. And we finished that rookie year year 1-4 including a blowout loss in the playoffs.
Mac’s stats:
212 Yards per Game, 30 TDs, 26 INTs, so almost a 1:1 TD to INT ratio.
SO WHY DECEMBER 18?
I promise this wasn’t cherry picking when Mac struggled to find the worst win-loss record I could post. I remember vividly watching this game and the announcers were showing that for the first time, a defense was disrespecting the deep ball. They barely had any help over the top and the Colts just brought pressure and clouded up the middle of the field. They knew Mac couldn’t punish them for leaving over the top open and couldn’t make those deeper outside route throws at a high clip. I remember sitting there like “oh my god they are disrespecting this kids arm talent, don’t they remember all his throws at Bama? Kid can sling it” but that never happened. And 3 years later, we’ve never been able to make teams pay for playing us tight and short. Mac’s arm strength really has limited this team and it wasn’t even a full year in the league that teams figured him out and he’s never adjusted.
100% agree.
Colts handed the league the blueprint and it’s been highly effective. Jam the middle and disregard the long ball. OL and WR ineptitude hasn’t helped but there have been plenty of plays where Mac has time ti set his feet and drive the ball and he simply hasn’t. These plays often result in picks or near picks.
Zo was saying that Mac’s footwork was BoBs focus from day 1 and it hasn’t improved. His development was far from perfect but I just think, more simply, that the league figured him out quick and he doesn’t have the tools or poise to overcome that.
9-19 …holy shit he sucks
Let’s build a list. The Dallas game, this year, I think broke him finally.
Yup was a mac believer even into this year but the pats have pulled a “how to destroy your first round qb 101” with the dysfunction the past few years. Hope he gets a chance somewhere else if we decide to blow the whole thing up.
IIRC that was also the game where Jonathan Taylor just gashed them for like 10 YPC or something?
I’ve been saying this since that point. NFL DEFENSES/DC DO THIS ALL THE TIME. Once there’s tape of deficiencies, they exploit it and compound it. The pats offense has been the same since 2010; attacking the middle of the field with pops to the outside. He can’t make those throws so defenses stopped worrying about it. I’ve been downvoted to oblivion stating the obvious, but fans are emotional and don’t see things nfl players and coaches see year in year out. Tape was out on the kid midway through his rookie year.
1000s of players that look good in college don’t have the same success in the nfl. He’s one of those players. Hoping and wanting him to be above average was never in the cards and now he can’t even manage a game without ill-timed mistakes
I seem to remember some recent 40 air yard passes that were dropped… Sort of think some receptions change the narrative.
Yep. Not just a coaching or help or line thing. Teams got enough film on him and know exactly what to do. Goes to the point Fred makes on PU constantly - the patriots are too easy to defend.
It really annoys me when people say Mac had an elite rookie year without looking at the context for some of the wins, and the split of first half of the year vs second. This end result is not a massive surprise to anyone who trusts their eyes