The New England Patriots are coming off one of the most drama-filled and disappointing seasons in franchise history, one in which they finished 8-9 and missed out on the postseason for the second time in three years.
Inconsistent quarterback play from Mac Jones was a key reason why the Patriots went from 10 wins and a wild card berth to no postseason in just one year. Head coach Bill Belichick curiously named Matt Patricia and Joe Judge the co-offensive play-callers even though their backgrounds are on defense and special teams, respectively.
During an appearance on “Zolak and Bertand” for 98.5 The Sports Hub, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer (h/t Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston) explained that Jones’ behavior (he was often seen screaming at coaches on the sideline), may have rubbed Belichick the wrong way.
Breer also briefly touched based on the idea of the Las Vegas Raiders making a move for Jones. The latter had a strong 2021 rookie year under then-Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, after all.
“I don’t think Bill appreciated the way that Mac handled some of the stuff last year. There’s a way that I think Bill thinks a franchise quarterback should conduct himself. And for the most part, (Tom) Brady did conduct himself that way. I think there were certain things in the way that Mac handled his second year as a pro that Bill didn’t appreciate.”
Breer also briefly touched based on the idea of the Las Vegas Raiders making a move for Jones. The latter had a strong 2021 rookie year under then-Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, after all. On top of that, Breer indicated that the Patriots may not see a significant “gap” between Jones and backup Bailey Zappe:
“I don’t know how in love the Raiders are with Mac. Like, if you’re talking about getting their first-round pick, I don’t think that’s happening…
“I think they would,” Breer said. “Internally, I don’t know if they see this massive gap between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. I’m not saying they think Bailey’s as good as Mac, but there was some element of Bailey doing what he was coached to do last year that I think gave Bailey the edge to some degree for a little while there.
So I think it’ll be interesting to see what would happen if a real offer came along. I don’t think a real offer is going to come along, but it’d be interesting to see what would happen if a real offer did come along.”
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It’s hard to envision Belichick giving up on Jones after one year, considering how impressive the Alabama product was in his rookie year. But the pressure is definitely on Jones to perform well early and often in 2023, especially with a gifted backup in Zappe ready to take over if necessary.
