Tag: Mac Jones

Dan Orlovsky goes off on ‘impossible’ QB situation in New England

Has Mac Jones been setup for failure? The Patriots have had “one of the worst QB situations over the last decade,” per ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky.

Anyone considering dumping Mac Jones and the New England Patriots drafting another quarterback should probably hear ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky out first.

Orlovsky has built a personal relationship with Jones behind the scenes over the years, and he has served as an outside source of information for the third-year player in his quest towards improving at the quarterback position.

In many ways, Jones has been scapegoated for everything that is wrong in New England. The Patriots have one of the worst offensive lines in the league, and their playmakers at receiver, outside of rookie sixth-round draft pick Demario Douglas, are relatively non-existent.

Orlovsky took things a step further when criticizing the situation around Jones in a social media post on Friday. He called the Patriots’ quarterback situation one of the “worst over the last decade.”

It’s hard to argue with statistics, which honestly aren’t even needed at this point. It has been obvious from the start how poorly constructed the Patriots’ roster has been, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

But it’s also true that Jones looks like a broken quarterback at this point.

One thing everyone can agree on is the fact that this current version of Jones doesn’t look anything like the same guy that played under center in 2021. It’s a night and day difference.

If the Patriots don’t make the necessary changes as an organization, the same could hold true for any other quarterback that walks in the door in 2024 and beyond.

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Julian Edelman drops some hard truths on Patriots QB Mac Jones

Julian Edelman believes Mac Jones has lost his confidence.

Julian Edelman has gone from legendary playmaker on the field to concerned fan on the sidelines for the New England Patriots.

And there is plenty to be concerned about right now in New England, most notably at the quarterback position. Coach Bill Belichick shocked NFL fans last week by benching Mac Jones for Bailey Zappe for a potential game-winning drive against the Indianapolis Colts.

The timing was the biggest surprise with Zappe being cold and coming off the bench for the most important drive of the game late in the fourth quarter. Jones’ performance was easily one of the worst in his NFL career, and Belichick decided he had seen enough.

“It’s just been tough for Mac to execute in the high pressure situations and it comes down to his confidence,” Julian Edelman said, when appearing on “The Herd” on Thursday, via WEEI’s Mike Kadlick. “He’s lost his confidence, and once you lose your confidence in this league, it’s tough. … It sucks for him, but, you know, that’s what’s happened.”

The failure of the Patriots offense this season isn’t completely on Jones in reality, but Edelman brought up a great point that illustrated the immense pressure that comes with playing quarterback in the NFL.

“If you’re a guy, you’re a guy,” said Edelman, per Kadlick. “I’m not gonna come out here and just bash on Мас. It’s been terrible for the whole unit — one play it’s the offensive line, one play the receiver slips, one play the receiver drops the ball, there’s a bad throw and collectively they’re not doing well. But this is the National Football League. If you don’t win, the quarterback and the head coach get the blame. When you do win, the quarterback and the head coach get the (credit).”

Jones and coach Bill Belichick are the ones getting blamed right now for the Patriots drowning with a 2-8 record. The perennial sharks of the AFC have morphed into fish fodder before our very eyes.

And neither Jones or Belichick can save them from it.

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Patriots Wire Podcast: Time to move on from Mac Jones as the starter

Jones, Zappe, Grier or Cunningham? Who should start for the Patriots?

Mac Jones might have slammed the door shut on his run with the New England Patriots after delivering one of the ugliest quarterback performances in the Bill Belichick era.

And that isn’t even close to being an overreaction.

There was the failed softball pitch pass attempt to running back Rhamondre Stevenson and the sad, underthrown pass to Mike Gesicki that should have been a touchdown and won the game for the Patriots.

Whenever the pocket collapsed around Jones, he looked completely petrified and helpless. It all culminated in the third-year quarterback getting chewed out by Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien on the sidelines, before he was benched for Bailey Zappe for the final drive of the game.

This week, Ryan O’Leary and I delve into the future at quarterback for the Patriots after losing to the Colts. Is it time to move on from Jones in favor of Zappe, Will Grier or Malik Cunningham?

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We’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions on the subject. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Is it time for the Patriots to bench Jones, or should they continue rolling with what they have the rest of the way?

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Rob Gronkowski says Mac Jones ‘not respected’ in New England, should ‘ask for release’

Rob Gronkowski believes Mac Jones should ask for his release from New England and try his luck elsewhere.

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski believes quarterback Mac Jones is not respected in New England. He dropped this bombshell on Wednesday’s edition of “Up & Adams.”

Jones has had a difficult 2023 campaign. He has thrown for 2,031 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The quarterback has struggled so badly that he was benched during Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. He passed for 170 yards and an interception in that game, and the Patriots went on to lose 10-6.

It was yet another rough chapter in what was supposed to be a promising career. Jones was New England’s first-round pick in 2021 and was thought to be the next franchise quarterback. His career started off strong, as he led the Patriots to a 10-7 record and a playoff appearance in his rookie season.

However, things have started to take a downward turn, and the quarterback’s regression has been evident. Gronkowski believes the time has come for Jones to ask for his release

“If I was Mac Jones as well, he’s not respected in New England,” Gronkowski said. “Coach Belichick has played all these games with him. Bailey Zappe isn’t even close to being on Mac Jones’ level. You should never, ever sit Mac Jones.

“You tried it once, you tried it twice, it’s not working. Now, he’s doing it again. He won’t name a starting quarterback. He’s not respected there. I think Mac Jones should ultimately, even right now, should just go ask for his release. If you’re talking to me about what he should do, ask for his release.”

This would certainly be a major move for a team that ultimately wants to find stability at the quarterback position. There are also options in the 2024 NFL draft with Caleb Williams being one of them.

Time will tell what the Patriots do and if Jones is in their future plans moving forward.

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Ranking 8 most disappointing players for Patriots in 2023

Who are the eight most disappointing Patriots players so far in 2023?

An all-around disappointing season for the New England Patriots has led to an endless blame game from outsiders. Who is most responsible for the Patriots’ current predicament—the coaches, quarterback, receivers or offensive line?

The easy answer is there’s no singular individual responsible for the team imploding and falling to 2-8 on the season. It takes a village to create the colossal failure the Patriots have become this year.

With that said, there are certain players that have disappointed more than others. These are the players that were expected to play major roles in helping the Patriots turn things around from last season.

Yet, those expectations have only led to further disappointment for a franchise that’s unrecognizable from the perennial contender that reigned during the Tom Brady era.

Here are the eight most disappointing players for the Patriots this season:

Mac Jones is reportedly losing the Patriots locker room after weeks of uninspired play

Well, things aren’t looking up for Patriots QB Mac Jones.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones might not be a starting quarterback for much longer.

After Patriots coach Bill Belichick said the position would be evaluated going forward rather than name Jones the starter outright, Boston Herald columnist Andrew Callahan reported that the 2021 first-round pick is beginning to lose the New England locker room’s support.

“One team source estimated that at least 80% of the Patriots’ locker room is out on Jones,” Callahan wrote in his column. “Another said the ‘vast majority’ of players are done with him. Both said the lack of belief spreads to both sides of the ball, with a shared sense that Jones’ worst mistakes negate the best efforts of his teammates.”

If true, that would mean that the odds of Jones returning to the New England lineup are even lesser than already expected. Our Christian D’Andrea speculated that Jones was squarely on the hot seat for his job, and it appears that plenty of Patriots players would agree.

Either Bailey Zappe or Will Grier would take over at quarterback for New England, with Zappe the most likely candidate given his starting experience.

Jones had a promising rookie season with Josh McDaniels as his offensive coordinator before the wheels came off his career in 2022. It appears now that his time in New England is nigh, and it’s very possible the former Alabama starter could be playing elsewhere in 2024.

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No change imminent? Mac Jones reportedly took first-team QB reps for Patriots on Wednesday

Are the Patriots sticking with Mac Jones as the starting QB?

With Mac Jones being benched for Bailey Zappe in the New England Patriots’ Week 10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, there was a belief that change was finally coming under center for the team.

Whether it’s Zappe or Will Grier, there was the thinking that the Patriots would move in a different direction in the bye week and Week 12.

But in the words of Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend.”

Jones was spotted taking first-team reps at quarterback on Wednesday. Not much has changed for the Patriots since their embarrassing 10-6 loss to the Colts at Frankfurt Stadium in Germany on Sunday.

Things could obviously change by the time the Patriots get through the bye week and Week 12 against the New York Giants. There’s still time for Belichick to look to Zappe, Grier or even Malik Cunningham and give them the nod to get on the field.

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Rex Ryan takes another shot at Patriots QB Mac Jones following loss

ESPN analyst Rex Ryan did not mince words when talking about Mac Jones.

ESPN analyst Rex Ryan has not been shy in criticizing New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. Ryan took more shots at Jones after the quarterback’s performance against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Jones went 15-of-20 on the afternoon, throwing for 170 yards and an interception. He took five sacks in the game as well. His 25.9 quarterback rating was his third-lowest rating this season. The quarterback did average 8.5 yards per pass, but it was not enough in what was an inconsistent day.

Ryan used Sunday’s poor performance to take another shot at Jones, as the Patriots continue to freefall in the standings. He did not hold back, to say the least, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Adam London.

“It’s never a personal thing, I just give my opinion. I don’t know this young man from anybody, but he’s not an NFL quarterback,” Ryan said, when appearing on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “He lacks the arm talent. Here’s the other thing: Any time the guy extends plays, which is what you have to do in today’s game, he’s awful. He’s absolutely atrocious. The worst part about this game, to me, is four sacks on third down. What are you doing?

“Can I prove that he’s got no arm? He averages 4.3 yards past the line of scrimmage on his pass attempts. That would be 32nd in the league. He completed 15 passes. Good for you. You take four sacks on third down. All you’re doing is hitting the check-downs because that’s all he can throw. Anything where he has to push the ball down the field, he struggles. It’s never personal. The guy can’t play. I said it four years ago and I still believe it.”

New England is in a bit of a bind at the quarterback position. They do not have any reliable starting options right now, and they still have the meat of their schedule to go.

There have been quarterbacks floated around as options for New England, including Kyler Murray.

Whatever the case may be, there is no quick fix for this year, and it seems like the writing is on the wall for Jones. Perhaps now, an earnest rebuild can begin in New England, as the Patriots look to get back in the playoff hunt in future seasons.

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4-Down Territory: Weird Steelers, awesome Texans, Super Bowl Lions, Worst of the Week

The Steelers make no sense, the Lions are Super Bowl contenders, the Texans have arrived, and Worst of the Week! it’s time for “4-Down Territory!”

With 10 weeks of actual football in the books for the 2023 NFL season, it’s time for Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, and Kyle Madson of Niners Wire, to come to the table with their own unique brand of analysis in “4-Down Territory.”

This week, the guys have some serious questions to answer:

  1. The Steelers are 6-3 despite having been outgained and outscored overall for the season. Is there any reason whatsoever to take them seriously?
  2. Last year, the Lions were everybody’s plucky favorite. This year, are they a legitimate Super Bowl contender?
  3. The Texans have been the NFL’s best surprise with C.J. Stroud, but quarterback aside, are they the kind of team that could shock the world in the postseason?
  4. What was everybody’s Worst of the Week?

You can watch this week’s “4-Down Territory” right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “4-Down Territory” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Here’s what Bill Belichick said on Patriots’ future QB plans

Bill Belichick didn’t elaborate much on what the Patriots plan on doing at QB after the bye week.

The New England Patriots lost to the Indianapolis Colts by a 10-6 score on Sunday, and quarterback Mac Jones was benched for Bailey Zappe in the process.

Coach Bill Belichick did not have much to say about the substitution at the time, and he still does not have a ton to say about it a day later.

Jones had a difficult day, throwing for 170 yards and an interception. On top of this, he was seen walking to the x-ray room after the game. It was a rough day overall for New England, as they fell to 2-8 on the season.

Belichick elaborated on the quarterback position on Monday, when speaking with reporters, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Zack Cox.

“We just got back from Germany here, so we’ll work through everything,” Belichick said. “We’ll look at everything, all the way across the board. Not specifically any one position, just try to look at everything. Do the best that we can here moving forward.”

The outlook remains bleak at quarterback, as the Patriots try to find some sort of consistency at the position. But it may be too little, too late.

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