Mac Jones’ performance against the Jets was slightly deceiving
Mac Jones’ 46-yard completion to Kendrick Bourne wasn’t the longest pass of the New England Patriots quarterback’s career, but the throw traveled more yards from scrimmage (36) than any of his passes so far this season.
In that sense, it was his longest pass of the year. Jones’ biggest play, a 75-yard touchdown to Kendrick Bourne in Week 6, traveled 25 yards, with Bourne generating 50 yards after the catch. But in Week 7, Jones bombed the ball downfield with pinpoint accuracy to hit Bourne in stride.
“He threw a tremendous ball,” Bourne said after the game on Sunday.
It felt like a breakthrough moment for Jones, who has faced criticism for conservative play and the inability to strike deep with efficiency. Maybe it was a breakthrough moment. But in Week 7, Jones’ body of work was actually more of the same. He enjoyed an efficient performance by playing it safe, with 23 of his 24 completions traveling fewer than 15 yards.
Here’s a look at the passing chart,
This isn’t to say there was anything wrong with what Jones did. The fact that he proved — at least for one throw — that he can complete passes beyond the 20-yard line, something that has plagued him this year, is a positive step.
“We’re trying to be dominant, man. We’re trying to be that team that can do everything at any moment,” Bourne said of the play.
If Patriots fans are looking for progress — a sign that he’s developing into a more aggressive passer with the confidence to attack the entire field — this game wasn’t it. He’s the same old (or young?) Jones, who likes what he likes: distributing the ball to his playmakers, who generated yards after the catch.
The biggest difference for Jones was that his playmakers generated yardage with regularity. The bulk of his yardage was a credit to strong play from his running backs, receivers, tight ends and offensive linemen.
The Patriots have a recipe for offensive success. It was like what they’d planned: let the offense support Jones, the quarterback that resembles an NBA point guard. They don’t want to force Jones to elevate the offense — not yet. It worked against the Jets.
But the question remains: Will these playmakers continue to shine against better opponents?
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9 takeaways from Patriots' ruthless rout of the Jets in Week 7
