Mac Jones slipped to the New England Patriots at No. 15 overall in the 2021 draft because while he was likely to prove capable of managing an NFL offense, he was also unlikely to prove capable of powering that offense. Through three weeks, that seems about right.
Jones has referred to himself as a point guard, focused on getting the ball in the hands of his playmakers. And if you look at his passing charts from his first three weeks of the NFL season, you’ll see that’s exactly what he’s done well. On passes that are within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, he has looked efficient and at ease, completing 72.8 percent of his passes (76/103) for two touchdowns and two interceptions (one of which was not his fault).
Otherwise, he has struggled. In a Week 3 loss to the New Orleans Saints, he was 1 of 12 with an interception on throws 20 or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Through three weeks, he is 5 of 17 (29.4%) with no touchdowns and one interception on such throws.
Mac Jones' stats, through 3 weeks…
🚨 On 20+ yard passes: 5/17 (29.4%), 0 TDs, 1 INT
🔥 On passes 19 yards of fewer: 76/103 (72.8%), 2 TDs, 2 INTs— Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis) September 27, 2021
The Patriots seem to understand those shortcomings. That’s why he attempted just two passes that traveled 20 yards or more in the team’s win over the New York Jets in Week 2. New England is better served if Jones is not zipping the ball downfield — at least so far. Surely, he’ll develop to a place where he can do that. But he’s not there yet.
That’s just the reality. That’s also a reality Bill Belichick clearly saw coming. Whether the Patriots were going to build an offense around Cam Newton or Jones in 2021, they were bound to be dealing with a limited passer. So they acquired pass-catchers galore in the offseason: tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry and receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. Those players were supposed to help Jones by making plays with yards after the catch. And at the end of Week 3, there’s likely to be just one Patriots pass-catcher in the top 50 in the NFL for YAC (with the stats to be updated when the week is over). It’ll probably be James White, who suffered a hip injury in Week 3.
Bourne put together a solid game in Week 3 (6 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD) and Agholor was fine in Week 1 (5 catches, 72 yards, 1 TD). Aside from that, they’ve all been average, including Jakobi Meyers. New England cannot afford to get average performances from these players, particularly from the tight ends (Henry and Smith) who are making $12.5 million per year, among the top-5 paid players at their position. They need to be the offensive centerpieces. Instead, Smith was the reason Jones got intercepted the second time, a pick-six on a target when Smith batted the ball into the air on an unforced drop. It was one of two drops on the day when he finished with one 4-yard catch on six targets. Henry had five catches for 36 yards.
Those offensive centerpieces have combined for 20 receptions (10 apiece) and 183 yards. No touchdowns. Not much in the way of help in the red zone where New England struggled yet again in Week 3.
So the Patriots have needed help from their defense, which looked like it could be one of the NFL’s elite units — and perhaps even right away. They solidified their interior with the return of Dont’a Hightower and the additions of defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and Christian Barmore. New England also added talent on the edge, with Matthew Judon and Kyle Van Noy. They even built out their depth at cornerback with Jalen Mills. The counting stats aren’t bad for the Patriots, allowing just 17 points per game.
The biggest problem is that they haven’t done what is most important: They haven’t stopped the opposing offense at key moments to give their offense one last chance at winning the game. In Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots fumbled away their victory, with Damien Harris losing the ball on the 9-yard line with 3:18 left on the clock. But the Patirots had enough time and timeouts (3) that, if the defense had stopped the Dolphins, New England could’ve gotten another shot. The Patriots couldn’t get Tua Tagovailoa off the field. And something similar happened in Week 3, with the Patriots trimming the Saints’ lead to eight points in the fourth quarter. But New Orleans charged downfield on a 75-yard, 6-minute and 45-second drive in the fourth quarter for a touchdown. That was the defense’s chance to keep the game tight and help Jones tie the game. And the defense couldn’t get it done.
It’s a lofty standard for the defense. But the reality is that the Patriots are built around its defense. It has to give the offense every opportunity, especially against middling offenses like the Jets, Dolphins and Saints.
Jones may be struggling to push the ball downfield. But it’s his third week in the NFL. The Patriots surrounded him with veterans on offense and defense — with some of those veterans making huge sums of money — and they’re not meeting expectations. It’s just Week 3. There’s still plenty of time. But you can bet Belichick won’t be happy. He’ll let New England know how urgently they need to improve with Tom Brady returning to Gillette Stadium for a little revenge on his former team in Week 4.
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