Tag: Mac Jones

This Robert Kraft reaction to bad Mac Jones throw sums up Patriots’ entire season

The look on Robert Kraft’s face after this throw told the entire story for Mac Jones and the struggling Patriots.

It’s been a disappointing day for the New England Patriots organization, and everybody was frustrated, including owner Robert Kraft.

Quarterback Mac Jones threw a bad pass in the end zone that was intended for Hunter Henry. What should have been a completion to the tight end almost turned into an interception.

Kraft looked visibly disappointed after the play on a day when the Patriots offense could not get anything going all afternoon.

Jones finished the day throwing for 170 yards and an interception in a 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He was replaced by Bailey Zappe in the fourth quarter, but not even the second-year signal-caller could help New England get the job done.

If anything, Kraft’s reaction sums up what many Patriots fans are feeling. One has to wonder how soon changes will be made, as the Patriots continue to slip in the standings.

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Patriots prove they’re in need of drafting a new QB

The New England Patriots prove they’re in need of drafting a new QB after an ugly loss in Germany

It’s not going well for the New England Patriots in 2023. It’s really not going well for the Patriots quarterback situation.

In Sunday’s 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany, New England head coach Bill Belichick had enough of Mac Jones as his quarterback. And rightfully so; Jones took some bad sacks and threw a soul-crushing red-zone INT late in the game. The pick was Jones’ 10th of the season, the most in the NFL.

Jones’ first two seasons in New England were underwhelming but not disastrous. The third year teeters a lot closer to the latter, and the lack of progress in Jones’ processing of the defense and pocket manipulation are not promising. It was very apparent in Germany, where the Patriots run game looked very good and Jones’ receivers were getting open pretty well. Didn’t help Jones, unfortunately.

In Week 10, the Patriots yanked Jones late for Bailey Zappe. The second-year backup threw an even worse INT than Jones could ever muster on a fake spike to seal the loss.

The lifeless loss dropped the Patriots to 2-7 as they hit their bye week. Currently, New England holds the No. 3 overall pick (pending the rest of Week 10). It’s become evident that the Mac Jones experiment isn’t going to work for Belichick. Zappe might solidify himself as the long-term backup if he takes over the rest of the season, but that’s his apparent ceiling.

It’s time to put the Patriots firmly in the conversation for both the No. 1 overall pick in 2024 and high up in the list of teams looking to select a first-round quarterback in April.

WATCH: Mac Jones gets chewed out by Bill O’Brien and benched vs Colts

Bill O’Brien went off on Mac Jones on the Patriots’ sideline

One of the worst performances of the season for New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones ended with him being benched for Bailey Zappe, again.

But before the benching, camera crews caught Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien giving Jones an earful on the sidelines. It’s no surprise considering the horrific performance put on display by the former first-round draft pick.

Jones was missing reads, overthrowing receivers, underthrowing receivers and just making bad overall decisions with the ball in his hands. There’s no hope when the team can’t even trust the man under center to make the right decisions with the game on the line.

That continues to be the case with the Patriots and Jones.

Things weren’t any better with Zappe on the field. The backup quarterback stepped in on the final drive and threw an interception to seal the Patriots’ fate on an ill-advised pass in traffic with a bunch of Colts defenders.

Jones isn’t a good option for the Patriots, but the sad reality is he might be the best one they have at the moment.

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3 keys to victory for Patriots vs Colts in Germany

The Patriots have a chance to improve to 3-7, if they implement these three keys to victory against the Colts.

The New England Patriots’ season is over as far as the postseason is concerned. However, there are still eight more games left on their 2023 schedule.

So the rest of this season is more of a see what you have and what you don’t kind of situation.

The Patriots will take on the Indianapolis Colts in Germany on Sunday morning. They will be facing a team that has had a better season than them, even with all of the turmoil surrounding star running back Jonathan Taylor. The Colts also lost their starting quarterback, rookie Anthony Richardson, for the season with a shoulder injury.

New England has a chance to improve to 3-7 if they do these three things in the upcoming matchup. Let’s get into this week’s keys to victory for the Patriots.

Do Your Job: Who is x-factor Colts player Patriots must stop?

The Patriots must stop this two-time Pro Bowler to win on Sunday.

The New England Patriots have not been able to stop much this season, and this week, they’ll face an Indianapolis Colts team with some holes themselves.

Maybe, just maybe, this week will be an opportunity to add some confidence to the room. But the Patriots have seemingly given up on and off the field with some players even voicing their frustrations on social media.

The going theme this year is the Patriots trying to stop the other team’s x-factors without having any of their own to take over the game. This week, Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is the player the Patriots’ offensive line will be tasked with stopping.

The Patriots will rely heavily on offensive linemen Cole Strange, David Andrews and Sidy Sow to be a healthy and cohesive unit. Any deviations from that and Buckner will completely dominate.

Buckner has the ability to play up and down the defensive line, and he consistently delivers pressure from inside of the pocket, which happens to be the biggest weakness for Mac Jones. He’s also an above average run defender, which could be a real problem for the Patriots as well.

Buckner, 29, was originally selected No. 7 overall in the 2016 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, but with the 49ers needing to shed salary, he was traded in 2020 to the Colts for the 13th overall draft pick in 2020.

Buckner has continued his dominance on his second contract and is one of the best defensive lineman in the entire NFL. The Patriots will likely have nightmares if they do not find a way to limit his impact on the game.

Offensive line coach Adrian Klemm being out with health-related issues is also noteworthy. That means assistant coach Billy Yates will have his hands full in Germany trying to contain a beast on the line.

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Patriots PFF grades: 5 best and worst offensive players in 1st half of 2023 season

These are the Patriots’ top-five best and worst offensive players, per PFF.

Even with better coaching, the New England Patriots offense somehow looks much worse than it did last season. Through the first half of the season, they have gone from being bad to embarrassingly awful.

The offensive line hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and the talent at receiver hasn’t come close to living up to expectations. Quarterback Mac Jones hasn’t been a complete disaster, but he’s been bad enough to make some people believe he’s still the problem in New England.

The chances of a turnaround in the second stretch isn’t looking good, either.

Kendrick Bourne, who was the Patriots’ leading receiver before going down with a torn ACL, is done for the season, and the offensive line play doesn’t look like it’s getting any better. A shaky Jones under center isn’t the kind of situation anyone would expect to instill hope in a football team.

Let’s take a look at the five best and worst offensive players for the Patriots in 2023 so far, per Pro Football Focus grades.

Colts vs. Patriots: 5 things to watch in Week 10

What to watch for in Week 10.

The NFL will be wrapping up its International Series this week, featuring a matchup between the Indianapolis Colts (4-5) and New England Patriots (2-7) in Frankfurt, Germany.

This will be the third meeting between the franchises since Tom Brady left New England. The Colts beat the Pats for the first time since 2009 in 2021 but lost 26-3 in their 2022 matchup. This is a pivotal game for Indy. They have a chance to get to a .500 record heading into their bye week and can get some momentum going for a potential playoff push in their final seven games.

Here are five things to watch for when both teams kickoff Sunday football:

Colin Cowherd shares concerning report on Mac Jones’ attitude

This Colin Cowherd report isn’t a good look for Mac Jones.

A recent report by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer suggested that Mac Jones “infuriated” people within the New England Patriots’ organization. Now, FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd is speaking out about hearing similar rumblings about the third-year quarterback.

“Let me give you some inside sourcing,” Cowherd said on FS1’s “The Herd” on Thursday, via NESN’s Adam London. “There has been frustration for over a year that he doesn’t take to coaching and especially doesn’t take to hard coaching. [Tom] Brady took to hard coaching. Cam Newton, when he came in the building, was willing to be hard-coached. I have been told [for] over a year now [Jones] has lost some players in the room, the coaching staff. He’s bratty, he does not take too hard coaching.

“Well, that’s what [Bill] Belichick does. That’s generally what stars do. They like to be hard-coached. And that’s a real problem. So, when Albert Breer says that about coaching, that’s what I have heard. I’ve heard it over and over. Now, [Breer] is saying that. There’s real frustration in the building. They can’t get after him.”

This has been another frustrating year for Jones, who currently has 1,861 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions on the season.

The struggles date back to last season, when reports emerged that he sought outside help to fix the Patriots offense. Things don’t seem to be getting better for Jones, as New England currently sits at the bottom of the AFC with a 2-7 record.

These reports obviously don’t paint Jones in a positive light. However, the entire organization is unstable at the moment. There is a report that Bill Belichick might get fired if the Patriots lose to the Colts on Sunday. Couple that report with J.C. Jackson being sent home, and it’s clear that it’s been a busy week in the headlines for the organization.

There is still a fair amount of the season left to be played, but will Jones even make it that far as the starter? More importantly, one has to wonder if he will even be back at all in New England in 2024.

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Mac Jones comments on seeking help outside of Patriots organization

Patriots QB Mac Jones was very forthcoming on the subject of him seeking outside help.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones isn’t shying away from the fact that he talks to outsiders in hopes of improving his overall football knowledge.

But he also isn’t just seeking advice from quarterbacks, either.

“I always talk to the Alabama guys, right? There are a lot of Alabama guys in the NFL. I’m not talking about quarterbacks, just in general,” Jones said, when appearing on “Jones & Mego.” “Players, even the team we just played against. There’s a few guys that I played with. I think that’s a good resource when you’re talking to people, and it’s a fraternity. It’s Alabama fraternity, right? It’s everybody together. I think that’s a good resource.”

The 2023 season has not been a smooth one for Jones. He has recorded 1,861 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He is coming off a game on Sunday against Washington that saw him go 24-of-44 on the afternoon, throwing for 220 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Jones has also sought out advice from others, including ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky. It’s clear the quarterback wants to try to get better, as he looks to improve on his inconsistent play.

He is reaching a crucial point in his career, as the Patriots organization continues to freefall. Jones has had a difficult time succeeding in New England, partly due to his regression and lack of talent around him. It’s made for a difficult three seasons in New England, with seemingly no light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

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5 big takeaways from Patriots’ 20-17 loss vs Commanders

Here are 5 big takeaways from Sunday’s Patriots-Commanders game

A week after their defeat against the Miami Dolphins, the New England Patriots took on the Washington Commanders at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

It was a competitive game throughout, though not for any significant level of skill from either team. Ultimately, Washington prevailed after a late-game drive from the Patriots ended in a turnover with less than two minutes to go, finalizing their victory in a 20-17 scoreline.

But even amidst their continued struggles, the Patriots still showed their class as an organization and care for the community. Before Sunday’s game, the team held a tribute to honor the victims of the recent shooting in Lewiston, Maine.

Here are five big takeaways from the game.