Tag: Mac Jones

Ranking all 32 NFL teams (including the Eagles) by 2024 strength of schedule

We’re ranking all 32 NFL teams by their 2024 strength of schedule ahead of the offseason and NFL draft

We’re about 100 days from the 2024 NFL schedule reveal, but the world and Eagles fans already know who their opponents will be.

The league uses multiple factors in determining the year schedule of games.

There’s a cycle of inter-conference faceoffs; each NFC division rotates through each AFC division every four seasons and the other NFC divisions every three seasons.

In addition, where a team finishes within their division dictates a same-finish matchup with one team from the opposite conference and whichever divisions aren’t in the rotation for that season.

Philadelphia previously had one of the more difficult schedules over the past two years, but 2024 will see the Eagles among the top ten easiest schedules based on win-loss percentages from last year.

Offering an early glimpse into where the Eagles could finish this season, here’s how Philadelphia’s 17-game slate for 2024 stacks up to the rest of the league, in February.

Devin McCourty believes change of scenery could be good for Mac Jones

Devin McCourty gave an honest answer when sharing his thoughts on Mac Jones’ future in New England

Former New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty has a plan in regards to what the organization should do with quarterback Mac Jones next season.

Jones’ struggles were well-documented last year. The 2021 first-round draft pick finished the year throwing for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Jones’ progression has fluctuated in New England. He had a promising rookie campaign in 2021. The Alabama product threw for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and got selected for the Pro Bowl. He then struggled in 2022 with defensive coach Matt Patricia serving as the offensive coordinator.

New England brought in longtime offensive play-caller Bill O’Brien in hopes that there would be improvement offensively, but Jones continued to struggle.

Multiple former members of the Patriots organization have weighed in on the quarterback’s future in New England. McCourty spoke on the “Eye on Foxborough” podcast earlier this week, and he believes a change of scenery would do Jones some good.

“Right now, without having that offensive coordinator, if you’re asking my opinion, I’d move on from Mac, start from scratch,” said McCourty, as transcribed by MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian. “I think it would help him to be elsewhere … So I think if the opportunity comes to trade him, I think it will help both sides.”

A reset for both Jones and the Patriots wouldn’t necessarily be the worst thing in the world. Whatever decision is ultimately made could be riding on what New England does with the third overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft.

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Report: Bill Belichick stopped speaking to Mac Jones after Week 12

Bill Belichick reportedly stopped speaking to Mac Jones late in the season

The relationship between New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Mac Jones was not a strong one, to put it mildly. A new report from MassLive’s Mark Daniels suggests the pair did not get along, particularly in the 2023 season.

Jones struggled throughout the entirety of the campaign. He was benched in Week 12 against the New York Giants, and he never regained the starting role, as Bailey Zappe started in every game for the team the rest of the way.

The broken communication between player and coach was evident late in the season. After Week 12, Daniels noted that Belichick stopped speaking to Jones:

After Week 12, when Jones was benched, Belichick eventually stopped speaking to his quarterback. That lack of communication came to a head in the Patriots’ final game. It created an uncomfortable situation. Jones openly rooted for Zappe trying to show coaches he was handling his demotion maturely. However, behind closed doors, observers noted Jones had little support. It seemed like he was being shut out.

Despite Jones rooting for Zappe and his attempts to improve behind the scenes, he was still left in the cold. The greatest example of that was his demotion to third-string quarterback in the season finale against the New York Jets, which he didn’t find out about until 90 minutes before the game.

Even with all of the issues throughout the season, the Patriots haven’t completely closed the door on Jones returning in 2024. The quarterback could benefit from a fresh start under coach Jerod Mayo.

Things didn’t work under Belichick, and they continued to worsen as time passed. Now, Jones can finally look to turn the page to something better, wherever that may be.

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Report: Patriots not shutting door on Mac Jones return in 2024

Mac Jones’ time in New England might not be over just yet

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has been under heavy scrutiny over the last couple of seasons to the point where some thought he might be out the door in 2024.

However, a new report from MassLive’s Mark Daniels suggests that Jones could return for the Patriots next season. One of the biggest reasons for that is coach Jerod Mayo, who might be more open to giving the former first-round draft pick another shot than Bill Belichick.

Daniels wrote:

The relationship between Belichick and Jones ended so poorly that sources all but guaranteed Jones wouldn’t be back with the Patriots had Belichick returned. With Jerod Mayo now in charge, the door isn’t shut, sources agreed.

The quarterback had another difficult season, even after the Patriots brought in Bill O’Brien to take over the offensive play-calling. Jones tallied 2,120 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Perhaps a new coach could help steer Jones in the right direction. The team is also in prime position to move on to another option with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft.

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Mac Jones reportedly was never informed of third-string demotion

Mac Jones reportedly found out he was being demoted to third-string the same time as media and fans

There were reportedly deeper levels of dysfunction in the New England Patriots’ organization by the regular season finale, when the team demoted Mac Jones to third-string quarterback in favor of backup Nathan Rourke.

It wasn’t the decision in itself that points to dysfunction. Every team has a right to establish a roster however they see fit.

With that said, Jones reportedly wasn’t informed that he would be demoted to third backup until the inactive list came out, 90 minutes before the team’s home game against the visiting New York Jets.

In a recent bombshell article with multiple reports, MassLive’s Mark Daniels wrote:

Not only was Jones demoted to third string, but nobody told him. He found out he was inactive when the Patriots released the list 90 minutes before kickoff, according to a team source.

Leading up to this game, the quarterback reps were split differently in practice, but no one on the coaching staff told Jones why and no one told him he’d be the team’s emergency third quarterback.

So Jones basically found out the same time as media members and fans that he was being downgraded as the third quarterback option for the Patriots.

That information came as the third-year signal-caller reportedly worked hard behind the scenes, despite falling behind Bailey Zappe on the depth chart. To think, Jones began the season as the starting quarterback for the Patriots and ended it without even being told of his third-string demotion.

It’s a world of difference from the Patriots’ organization that was once believed to be the buttoned-up champion and shining example for the rest of the NFL.

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Report: Patriots not planning to pick up Mac Jones’ fifth-year option

Patriots reportedly aren’t planning to pick up Mac Jones’ fifth-year option

The New England Patriots reportedly aren’t planning to pick up the fifth-year option for quarterback Mac Jones, who will be heading into his fourth NFL season in 2024.

MassLive’s Mark Daniels reported the news in a detailed article depicting the downfall of the former first-round draft pick in New England.

That doesn’t mean the team is necessarily looking to move on from Jones in the offseason. There could potentially be trade interest, if another team is willing to step to the negotiating table. But Jones could stick around on the roster with Bill Belichick gone and Jerod Mayo leading the charge as the new Patriots head coach.

There are a number of options for the Patriots when it comes to Jones’ role on the team. He could continue to work as a third-string quarterback behind a rookie or veteran signal-caller and Bailey Zappe.

If the team chooses to keep Zappe as the starter, they could also keep Jones as the No. 2 option. Or, they could try at one last desperate attempt with Jones under center as the starter and see if they can rebuild the offense around him.

Whatever the Patriots ultimately decide to do will be tied to the 2024 season, which might officially be the swan song for Jones in New England.

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Mel Kiper Jr. believes Mac Jones was dealt ‘bad hand’ by Patriots

Mel Kiper Jr. on Patriots: “They didn’t help Mac Jones”

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has the New England Patriots taking a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, but he is also showing support for Mac Jones.

“Mac Jones was dealt a bad hand. Let’s face it. They didn’t help Mac Jones,” said Kiper, when appearing on ESPN’s “First Draft” podcast, via WEEI’s Mike Kadlick. “Mac Jones had– they bring in different coordinators, you’ve got two, you’ve got guys who weren’t even coordinators, you’ve got receivers that have no star power out there, anybody with elite skills, you don’t have an offensive line. Mac Jones can’t– he can’t win behind that. That’s a no-win situation, okay? Because of what he was surrounded by, so I feel bad for Mac.”

The former Alabama signal-caller struggled last season and was permanently benched at the end of November. He finished the 2023 season with 2,120 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He threw for 89 yards and two interceptions against the New York Giants in his final game.

The Patriots offense struggled in various areas last year. They ranked 30th in the NFL with 276.2 yards per game. Quarterback play was certainly an issue, but the lack of weapons, particularly at wide receiver, was equally as glaring. Offensive personnel clearly wasn’t a point of strength for New England last year.

The Patriots will have multiple options on the table in the offseason, including continuing on with Jones or using the No. 3 overall pick to hit the reboot button at the quarterback position.

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Senior Bowl director not blaming Mac Jones for Patriots fall-off

Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy doesn’t think Mac Jones was the problem in New England

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones’ rapid decline from a Pro Bowl rookie to being inactive in the final game of the 2023 season is one of the great conundrums being debated ad nauseum.

Some are laying the blame at the feet of Jones, who threw more interceptions than touchdowns and got outplayed by backup Bailey Zappe. Others are pointing the finger at former Patriots coach Bill Belichick and the lack of offensive talent surrounding the former first-round draft pick.

Newly-hired Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo seems to think the answer is somewhere in the middle. However, Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy didn’t shy away from placing the onus on the Patriots for Jones’ struggles over the last two seasons.

“From the outside looking in, I see a guy that played at a really high level as a rookie and a guy that’s like, wired the right way, total gym rat, like football junkie, and there’s not many of those anymore. Ultra competitive,” said Nagy, when appearing on WEEI’s Gresh and Fauria, via Mike Kadlick. “How does that guy fall off? You know what I’m saying?

“Like to the point where now he probably has to go somewhere else and reset his career? You tell me what happened over the last two years. Like not many rookies come into the league and play the way Mac played, so. To me, what happened up there is not on Mac Jones.”

It’s hard to argue with Nagy considering the Patriots had one of the worst offensive skilled groups in the league in 2023. That comes a year after Belichick made longtime defensive coordinator Matt Patricia the offensive play-caller.

There have been plenty of bad decisions behind the scenes that have stunted Jones’ growth at quarterback. It’s one of the reasons why owner Robert Kraft ultimate decided to part ways with Belichick, after 24 years together.

That decision isn’t about saving Mac Jones as much as it’s about making sure the next guy and situation in New England doesn’t end the same exact way.

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Former Patriots three-time Super Bowl champion sees Mac Jones staying in New England

Three-time Super Bowl champion RB believes Mac Jones will still be on the Patriots’ roster in 2024

A former New England Patriots great is throwing his support behind Mac Jones. Three-time Super Bowl champion James White believes that Jones will get one last chance to make an impact for the Patriots.

It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Jones to this point in his career. At first glance, his statistics look decent. He has thrown for 8,918 yards, 46 touchdowns and 36 interceptions in his three seasons with New England.

However, Jones regressed last year. He was benched for quarterback Bailey Zappe, following the November 26 game against the New York Giants, and never regained his starting spot for the rest of the season

There has been doubt cast on his future with the organization. The Patriots hold the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, which could give them the opportunity to select either Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels at quarterback.

However, White believes there is a future for Jones in New England as he told Karen Guregian on the “Eye on Foxborough” podcast earlier this week, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Greg Dudek.

“I wouldn’t be surprised. Everybody’s saying, ‘Trade and release,’ and all that stuff. Maybe a change of scenery is possibly what he wants, which could be good for him. But I’ve been saying all along I can very well see him being on the roster,” White said. “He can be a guy competing for a starting job, whether he actually wins out or not, whether they draft a rookie, whether they bring in a veteran guy. He’s had success in this league the last two years.

“It hasn’t gone his way, but if you bring in the right offensive coordinator, you allow him to compete with somebody else, who knows what may shake out next season?”

There’s a glaring need at quarterback on the Patriots’ roster, due to the inconsistencies at the position over the past couple of seasons. Jones competing for a starting job in 2024 could be in the cards as the Patriots turn the page with newly-hired head coach Jerod Mayo.

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Patriots’ 7 most disappointing players in 2023

Here are the Patriots’ seven most disappointing players in 2023.

There is enough blame to go around for the New England Patriots’ failures in 2023. So it wouldn’t be fair to point the finger at one or two people for the team’s worst season in the Bill Belichick era.

With that said, there were multiple players that failed to live up to expectations in a year when the team desperately needed a turnaround to rid themselves of the stench from the 2022 season.

Unfortunately, things didn’t get better for the Patriots. They got much worse, despite clear efforts to turn things around.

The team sunk to 4-13 on the year and finished dead last in the AFC East division. Belichick’s 24-year run as head coach came to an end, and the team is now on the journey to rebuild with a new regime in place.

Here are the seven most disappointing players for the Patriots in 2023: