Mac Jones made tremendous strides as his rookie year progressed.
The No. 15 overall pick led the New England Patriots to a 10-7 record, along with a playoff berth. There were stretches that were dominant and explosive, while there were moments that were flat and underwhelming. Jones finished the year throwing for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions — with a 68 completion percentage.
Overall, he proved he will be the starter for the foreseeable future in Foxborough.
One issue major issue he had that can be improved upon was his ability to win games while playing from behind. The Patriots struggled mightily while trying to brew up comeback victories. Another issue that isn’t so easily solvable, is his arm strength.
The biggest example of this was Jones’ inability to throw in the blistering cold against the Buffalo Bills in Week 13. Jones grew up in Jacksonville and played at Alabama in college — being in the cold isn’t natural to him. To end up at the top of the AFC East, Jones will have to compete against Josh Allen every season.
An anonymous AFC executive expressed this point while talking to Pro Football Focus’ Dough Kyed.
“He’s cerebral, but his arm is weak, which will hurt him in that division in cold-weather games,” the exec said. “Good rookie year but [he] needs a lot of things around him.”
Jones has the trust of his teammates and Bill Belichick appears to be sticking around — so, a lot of the kinks can be worked out during the offseason. But, the Patriots must find a way to put the right playmakers around Jones to make up for the lack of arm strength.
