Tag: Mac Jones

Happier looking Mac Jones goes viral for stylish image in Jaguars uniform

Mac Jones appears to be having the time of his life in Jacksonville

Former New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones appears to be settling in nicely with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jones posted a picture of himself decked out in sunglass with a football in his hands on Thursday.

A video was posted this week of him flipping and dancing during practice. That combined with his first press conference in Jacksonville has indicated he is happy to be out of New England.

The Patriots traded Jones back in February for a 2024 sixth-round draft pick.

Jones is ready for a fresh start, as the caption in his social media post had the number “281-330-8004,” which is a reference to rapper Mike Jones’ song, “Back Then.”

That’s a clear indication he’s ready to turn the page.

The Patriots are turning the page, too, with Drake Maye set to fill the void of a franchise quarterback. Let’s hope New England does not make the same mistakes they made with Jones.

Ex-Patriot blames Bill Belichick for Mac Jones failing in New England

Former Patriot says Bill Belichick was “stuck in his ways”

There is enough blame to go around for the current state of the New England Patriots, but when it comes to the failed development of quarterback Mac Jones, former Patriots running back Damien Harris laid the blame at the feet of coach Bill Belichick.

Jones was a rookie Pro Bowler under previous Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. However, once McDaniels left for the head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders, Jones and the entire offense went off a cliff.

Belichick never hired a suitable replacement. Instead, he simply chose to lean on longtime disciples Matt Patricia and Joe Judge.

In one of the biggest head-scratching moves of the Belichick era, Patricia was handed the reins as the new offensive play-caller, despite being a defensive coach. And Judge, who was a special teams coach, was suddenly morphed into the Patriots new quarterbacks coach.

“What happened to Mac Jones in New England was not because of Mac Jones,” said Harris, when appearing on “The Athletic Football Show.” “What happened in New England to Mac Jones was because of the fact you took away an offensive coordinator, who coached him to be a Pro-Bowler and almost coached us to winning our division with a rookie quarterback in his first year.

“And then whenever Josh McDaniels left, then you take Matt Patricia, who’s coached defense his entire life, Joe Judge, who’s been a special teams coach, coached receivers at some point, and then you just throw them in there and say, ‘Hey, coach this kid up. He’s a first round pick, but as long as you teach him what I say, everything is gonna be fine.’ And the [expletive] wasn’t fine.”

Jones was benched multiple times for Bailey Zappe at quarterback. The Patriots attempted to save face by hiring Bill O’Brien in 2023, but by that time, the damage had already been done.

The former first-round pick’s confidence had been shaken beyond recognition. It didn’t help matters that the offensive line was still in shambles, and the receiving corps was one of the worst in the league. Few quarterbacks, if any, could have been successful in the situation Jones faced in New England.

He finished his final year with the team with 2,120 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

“Mac Jones is in Jacksonville. They’re on to Drake Maye. It’s like the breath of Mac Jones in New England—it came and went,” said Harris. “It shouldn’t have the way that it went, and the only reason that it did was because Bill Belichick, being stuck in his ways, was very much so, ‘As long as I am here. As long as I am, along with Robert Kraft, the top dog at this organization, no matter who, no matter where, what position, where they coach, whatever—we will have success.'”

The success never came for the Patriots. Quite the contrary, Belichick’s questionable decisions in the end created the path for his own exit from New England.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Belichick parted ways after 24 years together, following a 4-13 finish to the 2023 season. The team moved to hire Jerod Mayo as the new head coach and Eliot Wolf as the top personnel executive.

In a way, that ugly record helped the new regime by netting them the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, where they selected quarterback Drake Maye.

A final gift from the man that led them to six Super Bowls.

Mac Jones looked so silly running through ball-protection drills at Jaguars OTAs

Mac Jones is having a lot of fun with his hometown team at OTAs.

Mac Jones isn’t likely to be a starter in 2024 barring injury after he was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this offseason, but he still seems to be enjoying his new team.

Jones, a Jacksonville native who joined his hometown team, is finding ways to have a good time as a backup, and he was spotted at OTAs running through a ball-protection drill in hilarious fashion, fending off would-be defenders and completing it with a somersault onto the padded mat and a little dance move.

In another clip, Jones shows off his route-running acumen, catching a touchdown pass from fellow backup CJ Beathard.

Jones, the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft (which was headlined by now-teammate Trevor Lawrence), started 42 games. However, after a promising rookie season, his play diminished in each successive campaign.

That resulted in multiple benchings as he finished with an 18-24 record as a starter. Following the 2023 season, he was traded to Jacksonville for a sixth-round pick.

Though Lawrence is entrenched as Jacksonville’s starter for 2024 — the final year of Jones’ rookie deal — and beyond, he seems to have a genuinely positive demeanor about his new situation.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1371]

 

QB Mac Jones ‘competing,’ having fun with Jaguars

QB Mac Jones ‘competing,’ having fun with Jaguars

Home is where the heart is.

Although it might not have happened in the fashion he preferred, Mac Jones has enjoyed a homecoming this offseason, fitting in well with the Jaguars following his March trade from the Patriots.

Jacksonville offered Jones, a first-round selection by New England in 2021 who was effectively replaced by No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye this offseason, a fresh start to his NFL career, in his hometown.

Into the third phase of the offseason workout program, Jones has left a strong impression on those around him, including Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson.

“He’s the ultimate pro. He’s done a great job since he’s been here, spending time studying the offense, getting caught up in the offense,” Pederson said Tuesday. “You can see why I liked him coming out of college, when [I was] looking at quarterbacks back then … [he] throws a really good ball.”

From the same draft class as Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars’ current starting quarterback and No. 1 pick that year, Jones had ascended to first-round status after starring at Bolles High School in Jacksonville and with Alabama in college.

He won a state championship with the former in 2016 and a national championship with the latter in 2021, starting at quarterback for both schools.

But sailing was not as smooth in New England, where Jones operated as the first heir to Patriots’ six-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady.

After a promising, Pro Bowl-alternate rookie campaign including an AFC Wild Card appearance, Jones went 8-17 as a starter between 2022-23, tossing for 5,117 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in that stretch. He was benched four separate times during the 2023 season.

Jacksonville sent New England a sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft to give Jones a clean slate in his NFL career, lifting the expectations that followed his first-round selection and allowing him to function as a backup quarterback in a new system.

He’s adapted well and is enjoying the process, Pederson said, describing Jones as smart, eccentric and “a little quirky at times.”

“That’s the joy and the fun I think that he wanted to get back to a little bit, and he’s done a great job for us,” Pederson said.

“Change of scenery sometimes is good for players and coaches. For him to get back here around family, friends, has been good for him. I think he’s embraced it since he’s been here.”

Jones will battle three-year Jaguar and six-year pro, C.J. Beathard, for the second-team quarterback gig behind Lawrence this offseason. Beathard has appeared in 15 games in the role, completing 74.2% of his passes for 417 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

“We’re excited to have him,” Pederson said of Jones. “Gives us a great room with he and C.J. kind of competing in that role, and he’s done a nice job.”

Patriots QB Bailey Zappe reflects on tumultuous 2023 season

Bailey Zappe feels like his mistakes cost the Patriots games in 2023

New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe reflected on his play last season in a session with the media on Wednesday.

Zappe kept the Patriots afloat while quarterback Mac Jones struggled throughout the course of the season. He finished the year with 1,272 passing yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions.

For all of the struggles he had last year, there were some highlights. This included wins in two out of three games in December, including a thrilling 26-23 victory over the Denver Broncos on Christmas Eve.

Still, the Patriots finished 4-13 on the season in what was a tumultuous year for the quarterback room. Zappe got his first taste of action against the Dallas Cowboys, as Mac Jones was benched in the second half. It happened again against the Indianapolis Colts in Germany, as the inconsistent play of Jones continued to be a concern.

Zappe kept things even-keel when asked about last season, as transcribed by NFL reporter Zack Cox.

“There were some things personally that I felt like I did really good, and there were some things that I feel I did really bad at,” said Zappe. “Mistakes that I made cost us games.”

It will be interesting to see where Zappe fits in the quarterback room this season with multiple new additions, including Jacoby Brissett, Drake Maye and Joe Milton III.

Patriots exec reveals biggest takeaway from the failed Mac Jones era

The Patriots are doing everything possible to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself with rookie QB Drake Maye

New England Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf isn’t dwelling on the team’s past failures, but he’s also not completely ignoring them, either.

One of the biggest disasters in franchise history, without question, was the Mac Jones era. The former No. 15 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft showed tremendous promise as a rookie Pro Bowler, before falling so high off a cliff that he was shipped off in a trade to the Jacksonville Jaguars, two years later, just to play backup for Trevor Lawrence.

The last thing the Patriots need is a sequel to that situation with current rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who was taken at No. 3 overall in the 2024 draft. One of the best ways of avoiding that is taking lessons from the past and improving to ensure a better future.

Wolf recently appeared on the “Up & Adams” show and talked about his biggest takeaway from the failed Jones era.

“The main thing that we’ve been able to take away is just being able to support, not only Drake, but every quarterback we have,” said Wolf. “Just throw every level of support that we possibly can at the quarterback. And those are things that, whether it’s coaching, whether it’s something off the field, whether it’s virtual reality—whatever the case may be. Just really having the willingness to support whoever the quarterback is in every facet that we possibly can.”

The Patriots have already demonstrated a different level of support for Maye under the new regime of Wolf and coach Jerod Mayo. They committed seven of their eight draft picks to the offensive side of the ball.

It’s a huge difference from Bill Belichick using the first three picks on defensive players in 2023, despite the offensive unit’s clear and obvious struggles.

Jones might not have had Maye’s natural talent, but he also wasn’t given much of a chance to succeed in New England, either. The offensive line was a mess, and he had one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL.

Throw in the fact that he also had three different offensive coordinators in his three years with the team and it’s hard to imagine anyone succeeding under those circumstances.

The Patriots must change before the outcome does. So far, under Wolf and Mayo, they’ve shown a willingness to do so.

Watch: Evan Engram makes stunning one-handed grab at Jaguars OTAs

Watch: Evan Engram makes stunning one-handed grab at Jaguars OTAs

Jaguars tight end Evan Engram is known for making eye-popping catches throughout his NFL career. While his most recent occurred without pads or opposition on the practice field, it deserves praise as one of his best nevertheless.

Appearing to run a post route, Engram leaped up in between the hashes and high-pointed a deep pass from new Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones with his right hand, snatching the ball out of the air and securing it without assistance from his left hand before landing on the ground.

Engram, a seven-year pro, signed a one-year contract with Jacksonville via free agency ahead of the 2022 season and experienced one of the most productive campaigns of his career, setting single-season personal highs of 73 receptions for 766 yards, scoring four touchdowns.

Jacksonville franchise-tagged Engram last offseason before signing him to a three-year, $41.5 million contract extension in July 2023. He responded with another set of single-season career-bests, hauling in a whopping 114 receptions for 963 yards, to go with another four scores.

The Jaguars traded for Jones this offseason, acquiring him from New England, his drafted team, for a 2024 sixth-round pick. The Jacksonville native and product of Bolles High School has completed 66.1% of his passes for 8,918 yards with 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions over three NFL seasons.

Breaking down the teams with the top scoring offensive in the past five years

Alabama football leads all other schools in PPG over the past five years

Over the past decade or so, we have seen both college and professional football place a large emphasis on the offensive side of the ball, especially the Alabama Crimson Tide. Whether it is the way the rules are governed and officiated, or if it is just the engininuity of specific coaches, offenses have become the focal point of the sport.

What made [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] so successful as the head coach of the Crimson Tide was his ability to change over time. When the Alabama dynasty started it was built on mental toughness, defense and being the grittier team. Saban was the head coach for 17 years and during that time a lot changed, but as things changed and his career progressed his ability to lean into prioritizing offensive success as opposed to holding onto his defensive ways is what continued to set him apart.

By the time Saban retired at Alabama this January, the Crimson Tide had become the standard for how you play offense in modern day college football. Over the past five seasons, no other school has averaged more PPG than the Crimson Tide with 42.1 PPG.

So, the five-year timeline essentially covers the 2019 through 2023 season. Tua Tagovailoa was the Alabama QB in 2019, Mac Jones in 2020, Bryce Young in 2021 and 2022 and Jalen Milroe in 2023 so there is definitely no question as to what has been the biggest driving force behind the success.

Now, with Saban gone, it will be exciting to see if Alabama can continue to be the offensive standard with [autotag]Kalen DeBoer[/autotag] coming to town, and my gut instinct is yes.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest Alabama football news as the 2024 offseason progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Here’s the Eagles’ complete 2024 regular-season schedule

Here’s the Eagles’ complete 2024 regular-season schedule with dates and times

The wait is finally over. The NFL has unveiled the Eagles’ complete 2024 regular-season schedule, which will see Philadelphia play five games in prime time.

The regular-season opener against the Green Bay Packers in São Paulo, Brazil, is now just 114 days away.

Here’s the TEAM’s complete 2024 schedule:

Week Date Opponent Time (ET)
1 September 6 vs. Packers 8:15 PM* Tickets
2 September 16 vs. Falcons 8:15 PM* Tickets
3 September 22 @ Saints 1 PM Tickets
4 September 29 @ Buccaneers 1 PM Tickets
5 October 6 Bye Week Tickets
6 October 13 vs. Browns 1 PM Tickets
7 October 20 @ Giants 1 PM Tickets
8 October 27 @ Bengals 4:25 PM Tickets
9 November 3 vs. Jaguars 8:20 PM* Tickets
10 November 10 @ Cowboys 4:25 PM Tickets
11 November 14: vs. Commanders 8:15 PM* Tickets
12 November 24 @ Rams 8:20 PM* Tickets
13 December 1 @ Ravens 4:25 PM Tickets
14 December 8 vs. Panthers 1 PM Tickets
15 December 15 vs. Steelers 4:25 PM Tickets
16 December 22 @ Commanders 1 PM Tickets
17 December 29 vs. Cowboys 4:25 PM Tickets
18 January 4 or 5 vs. Giants TBD Tickets

*prime-time game

NFL schedule release: When will 2024 slate of games be revealed for Ravens?

The 2024 NFL schedule is currently slated to be released at 8pm ET on May 15, per memo to teams this afternoon via Ben Fischer

After months of waiting, there’s only one week until all 32 NFL teams, fans, and league experts will find out the official 2024 regular season schedule.

Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal reports that NFL teams were informed on Tuesday that the regular-season schedule is expected to be released next Wednesday, May 15th.

The Chiefs, Cowboys, and Eagles highlight the Ravens’ 2024 opponents list, and we already know that Philadelphia will open up in Brazil against the Green Bay Packers.

Baltimore could be among the teams in line to face Kansas City on opening night.