According to Bill O’Brien: ‘I think Mac Jones is going to…

admin | December 27, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Bill O’Brien: ‘I think Mac Jones is going to be just fine’

In the 2022 NFL season, Bill O’Brien was meant to be the panacea for what ailed Mac Jones.

Instead, under a new offensive coordinator in 2023, the former Alabama All-American’s completion and touchdown rates, as well as his average gain per pass and per completion, all decreased, while his interception rate increased.

Jones hasn’t taken a snap in the past four games after starting every game for the New England Patriots while healthy since joining the NFL franchise as the 15th choice in the 2021 draft.

After a 10-7 loss to the New York Giants on Nov. 26, the Patriots decided to go with Bailey Zappe at quarterback despite having the poorest record in the AFC at 2-9. They’ve won two of their last four games.

O’Brien stated on Tuesday that he had not given up on Jones.

“I have a good feeling about Mac Jones,” O’Brien stated. “I truly do. I believe Mac Jones is a wise man. He works quite hard. He’s done an excellent job of being a decent teammate in this position.

“You know, look, these are things that happen throughout many careers. Right? You’ve had some ups and downs, and he’s handled it correctly. He’s putting forth a lot of effort. I believe in Mac, so I feel it will be alright.”

Jones has one more season left on his four-year, $15.586 million contract, which he signed as a rookie. For the 2024 season, he will earn $2.785 million.

Jones appeared in the postseason and the Pro Bowl as a rookie. He completed 352-of-521 passes for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, good for a 92.5 passer rating. He finished second in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting as New England went 10-7 during the regular season before falling 47-17 to the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the AFC playoffs.

Jones’ production dropped in his second NFL season, when former Patriots offensive coordinator Matt Patricia called the plays, after New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels moved to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders after the 2021 season.

Jones finished 2022 with a passing efficiency rating of 84.8 after completing 288-of-442 passes for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Jones missed three games and the most of another due to an ankle ailment as New England finished 8-9.

The Patriots hired Alabama’s offensive coordinator to fill that role after the 2022 season, but O’Brien’s presence did not result in greater play from Jones in 2023.

Jones has completed 224-of-345 passes for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions this season, for a passing efficiency rating of 77.0.

In 2023, Zappe completed 99 of 156 passes for 975 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions for a passing efficiency rating of 83.1.

“Bailey’s a very consistent guy,” remarked O’Brien on Tuesday. “He’s composed and cool. He’s got it. What he lacks is prior experience. He’s getting knowledge. I’m not suggesting he lacks experience, but you can’t disregard the value of experience in your job. The more reps you get in practice or in a game, obviously, that means a lot to your career if you take advantage of it, and Zap has done a wonderful job of that.”

When Zappe onto the field for the Patriots’ final series against the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 12, he had already relieved Jones twice in 2023. In that situation, however, New England still had a chance to win the game, despite the fact that Zappe’s two-minute drill produced no points and the Patriots lost 10-6.

Jones continued to start against the Giants despite the no-confidence vote. However, he and Zappe each played one half of that game.

With five interceptions in his last 102 passes, New England resorted to the backup as the starter for a 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 3.

Despite the shutout loss, Zappe played in the Patriots’ 21-18 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 7. Following a 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on December 17, the Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos 26-23 on Saturday, thanks to Chad Ryland’s 56-yard field goal with two seconds remaining.

The 4-11 Patriots have two games left in their 2023 season: a road game against the Buffalo Bills on December 31 and a home game against the New York Jets on January 7.