Mac Jones and the New England Patriots have a classic relationship. Bill Belichick was left adrift when he severed his historic tie with Tom Brady following the 2019 season. He had unproductive flings with Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham during 2020’s pandemic-interrupted season. But in 2021, Belichick decided to relocate; He selected Jones, who led Alabama to the national championship, with the 15th pick. Belichick and Jones’ first year together was a vision; Jones was not one starbut he was the most productive rookie quarterback in a class that also included Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Trey Lance (yes) and Zach Wilson (doubles yes). The Patriots made it to the playoffs, and while Jones had some limitations, he looked like Belichick’s partner for the long term.
The situation has slowly dissipated in 2022 due to Jones’ lack of progress, and he looks miserable in Week 12 of the current season as well. In Sunday’s 10-7 loss to a mediocre New York Giants team, Belichick benched Jones for the fourth time this season in favor of Bailey Zappe. The Patriots fell when kicker Chad Ryland missed a 35-yard field goal as time expired, but it could be a long-term victory. Jones’ two interceptions and 89 yards on 12-of-21 passing helped the Patriots drop to 2-9. They are currently in position to take the third overall pick in the 2023 draft. By playing poorly, Jones gave the Patriots a good chance of drafting a superior successor next year.
Jones never had astounding physical ability, but his strength at Alabama was distributing the ball with rhythm to an outstanding group of wide receivers and running backs who went on to their own NFL careers. Jones’ targets in Tuscaloosa included Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith (now a star with the Philadelphia Eagles) and Jaylen Waddle (now an even bigger star with the Miami Dolphins). During Jones’ first year in New England, Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels helped him get along despite a much lesser corps to support him. But McDaniels left for an inevitable coaching opportunity in Las Vegas before Jones’ second pro season, and New England’s receiving corps remained underwhelming and Jones also regressed after his encouraging rookie season.
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The 2023 season led to further declines. Jones is losing more than ever, of course, but he’s making more tackles, kicking fewer goals and making less efficient average passes than ever before. Belichick didn’t like his backup, 2022 fourth-round pick Zappe, enough to give him the opportunity to start this season yet. The coach is famously cranky and reporters want to know which QB he prefers. But the fact that Jones, a recent first-round pick, was benched four times in one season says that’s about all there is to know about Belichick’s evaluation. Whether or not Jones starts to improve, point guards who suffer a lot off the bench don’t tend to have lasting partnerships with their coaches.
Jones’ future isn’t the only topic of speculation in New England right now. Belichick’s situation will also be up for debate as long as the most successful coach in league history languishes in a failed post-Brady experiment. But no NFL coach would want Jones to be in his current situation, and the Patriots may act rashly this offseason in declining the fifth-year option on Jones’ rookie contract. This will cause his contract to expire after next season. For starters, it may expire much sooner.
MVP of the week
Jalen Hurts, quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles. The best quarterback duel of the season was Hurts’ duel against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills during a relentless rainstorm in Philadelphia on Sunday. Hurts’ passing numbers weren’t outstanding; He completed 18 of 31 passes for 200 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. However, he recovered when necessary and scored two more goals; this included a 12-yard field goal in overtime to clinch the game. Allen was also excellent in the 37-34 loss; He matched Hurts with two touchdowns on the ground (and 81 yards on nine carries) and another 339 and two through the air (and an interception to match). Allen made play after play and seemed unwilling to let the Bills lose. But when Hurts received the ball, which required a field goal to tie in overtime and a touchdown to win, he didn’t give Allen the opportunity to respond.
Video of the week
In the first half of the Steelers’ game at the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh tailback Jaylen Warren fumbled the ball as he fell to the ground. Diontae Johnson, the Steelers’ talented but inconsistent No. 1 wide receiver, stood nearby but made no effort to pursue the lost ball. Johnson told reporters after the match that he did not see the failure. Pittsburgh still won, 16-10, and improved to 7-4 in its first game since firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada. With the replacements of coordinators Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan, the Steelers cleared the 400-yard plateau for the first time in 59 games; this was a feat they had never achieved before in Canada. The Steelers only scored 16 points in all those yards, but baby steps.
Status of the week
5-6. The Atlanta Falcons hold that record but somehow lead the NFC South after beating their rival New Orleans Saints in Atlanta on Sunday. The Falcons played an unusually steady game, gradually increasing their lead into the afternoon in a 24-15 victory. Rookie running back Bijan Robinson, whose light usage by Coach Arthur Smith has been a source of irritation for Falcons fans and fantasy football players alike, carried 16 times for 91 yards and a touchdown. saints Moreover They have a 5-6 record, and for the second year in a row a team under .500 can win the division after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished at the top last season with an 8-9 record. Is it time for a ruling that says teams with a losing record cannot qualify for the play-offs even if they win their league?
Elsewhere in the league
The Las Vegas Raiders have been a good story under interim head coach Antonio Pierce, who replaced fired Josh McDaniels earlier in the month and won two of their first three games to keep Vegas close to the AFC playoff picture. There was a reality check on Sunday when Patrick Mahomes brought the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs to town. The Raiders put together a playful campaign with backup-turned-quarterback Aidan O’Connell to take a 14-0 lead in the second quarter, but found themselves falling short. What was Mahomes doing? he It’s a pretty good game – 298 yards passing, two touchdowns and no interceptions – a 27-of-34 game – but the Chiefs didn’t need much more in a 31-17 victory. KC went on a 31-3 run to take the game to 8-3. Vegas falls to 5-7, no longer on the brink of contention.
— Do you remember the Denver Broncos giving up 70 points to the Miami Dolphins? And dropped to 1-5? This wouldn’t happen these The Denver Broncos have won five in a row and won 15 in their last four games. Sunday’s victims were the Cleveland Browns, who lost yet another quarterback to injury; This time it was Dorian Thompson-Robinson who suffered a concussion.
— The Broncos are now 6-5 and competing for a wildcard spot in the AFC. But the team currently in last place in the wildcard is… the Indianapolis Colts? Gardner Minshew’s team has rarely made the news this season but has continued to deliver results despite its last three wins coming against the Patriots, Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. On the other hand, their remaining schedule isn’t too scary either, with games against the Tennessee Titans, Bengals, Steelers, Falcons, Raiders and Houston Texans.
– It’s easy to blame Aaron Rodgers’ absence, Zach Wilson’s ineptitude, Nathaniel Hackett’s playmaking, or injuries on the offensive line for the New York Jets offense being unwatchable (aside from their 99-yard pick-and-six), with the latest proof of that coming against the Dolphins in a 34-13 Black Friday loss. But who was it that decided to draft Wilson in the first place, failed to find good support for the 39-year-old quarterback, caved to Rodgers’ demand to sign the former Packers tackle, and neglected to set up a proper online pipeline? For the Jets, the rot starts at the top, and it’s a depressing reality for their fans.
— The 9-3 Baltimore Ravens have the best record in the AFC after beating the Los Angeles Chargers 20-10 on Sunday Night Football. The hot seat got a little more toasty for Brandon Staley as the 4-7 Chargers stumbled again.