Mac Jones being dealt a far better hand than last year
Mac Jones has no excuses this year. Anyone who knows football knows that Jones was dealt a horrible hand last year.
Mac Jones has no excuses this year. Anyone who knows football knows that Jones was dealt a horrible hand last year. He had players at skill positions with little talent, and he had two offensive coordinators who had no clue how to run an offense. Receivers couldn't get open and were, instead, running into each other. Explosive players were benched. Play calls couldn't be relayed in time.
But this summer, Jones is revitalized after being visibly frustrated last season, his second in the NFL. He has a new offensive coordinator, Bill O’Brien, who is considered a quarterback whisperer. O’Brien worked with Tom Brady and Deshaun Watson. He made a playoff quarterback out of Brian Hoyer (19 TDs, 7 INT in 2015!), and went 11-5 with Matt Cassel at QB in 2008 (21 TD, 11 INT, 3693 yards passing).
In the first few OTAs for the Patriots, all indications are that head coach Bill Belichick is butting out and leaving Bill O’Brien solely in charge of the offense. Things, according to Jones, have returned to “normal,” an obvious shot at Matt Patricia and Joe Judge.
Ever since Jones hurt his ankle early last year, missed time, and then got benched, Bailey Zappe has been peaking his head from out behind Jones’ shadow. Belichick fueled speculation of a quarterback controversy by not mentioning Jones by name until recently, and insisting that no position is immune to competition, including quarterback.
Jones appears to have already put all that speculation to bed. According to reporters like Albert Breer and Mike Reiss, Jones has looked in command at the OTAs and has been receiving the lion’s share of reps.
While Jones has taken criticism for being immature with his “disrespectful” antics during games last season, he deserves a mountain of credit for standing down this offseason and keeping his mouth shut and staying out of the public’s view (Taylor Swift concert, notwithstanding). He has allowed things like the coaching staff and roster to evolve. He knows he has owner Robert Kraft on his side. After all, Kraft invested a first round pick on the 24-year-old.
Besides adding O’Brien, the team hired former Patriots’ first round draft pick Eugene Chung to be their offensive line coach. Chung played under Dante Scarnecchia. Enough said.
The offense has added Mike Gesicki, a highly touted tight end coming out of college who will be playing on an “I’ll show them” one year contract. Gesicki will have a big year and be a presence in the middle of the field, along with Hunter Henry, that the team desperately lacked last year.
The big acquisition, in many people’s eyes, was JuJu Smith-Schuster. He will be replacing Jones’ favorite receiver, Jakobi Myers, who bolted to Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders. Schuster has more break away ability than Myers, and should be more explosive, if healthy.
The Patriots are also expecting bigger roles and more production from veterans Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, and second-year player, Tyquan Thornton. Bourne, inexplicably, sat the bench for most of last season. Thornton seemed to run around aimlessly on his routes, never truly utilizing his incredible speed and quickness. Parker struggled with injury, but showed off his ability to catch contested balls as well as nifty sideline footwork at times last year when on the field.
That is a solid group for Jones to work with. It may not be Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but it is more than respectable. And I didn’t even mention Rhamondre Stevenson and James Robinson coming out of the backfield, and two dynamic 6th-round draft picks, Kayshon Boute and Demario Douglas.
This is a far better hand Jones has been dealt this year. It is up to him how he plays it.