Albert Breer joins BST to discuss how Mac Jones’ decision-making is causing major concern in Foxboro. Beyond his physical limitations, is he now not taking coaching? Breer discusses with Felger and Holley on BST.
Remember when Mac Jones looked like the New England Patriots' quarterback of the future?
Jones had an excellent debut season with the Patriots in 2021, finishing as the NFL Rookie of the Year runner-up and leading New England to the postseason. It's been all downhill from there, however, and even after Bill O'Brien replaced the inexperienced Matt Patricia as the Patriots' offensive coordinator, Jones still can't seem to get out of his own way.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer joined NBC Sports Boston's Boston Sports Tonight on Tuesday to spotlight an area of Jones' game that's frustrating Patriots staffers amid the team's 2-7 start.
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"One thing that's really infuriated people in the building is the decision-making," Breer said of Jones, as seen in the video player above. "They've been sold the smart, efficient, game-managing quarterback and they're not getting it. The decision-making hasn't been good.
"They see him passing up open receivers. They see things, quite frankly, that you wouldn't see from a quarterback who has those sorts of qualities."
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After regressing in 2022, Jones is on pace to put up even worse numbers in 2023, with nine interceptions and just 10 touchdown passes through nine games. That the third-year quarterback isn't making any real progress is concerning, to say the least.
"It's not just the physical limitations," Breer said. "Now, it also doesn't feel like he's really taking the coaching, and that creates a much bigger problem. Because if this is who Mac Jones is -- and we've seen some of the defiance bubble over in the press conferences -- if he's not running the offense as it's prescribed, then what do you have?
"It's not like he can put the cape on and be Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. If you don't have that one part of it, then what do you have?"
While Jones doesn't boast the arm talent of some of the NFL's elite quarterbacks, the hope was he'd compensate with excellent accuracy and quick decision-making. Instead, the 25-year-old repeatedly makes baffling in-game decisions that have caught the attention of the Patriots -- including one example from last week's loss to the Washington Commanders that apparently stood out.
"There was a point in the game, in the third quarter, where Mac Jones checked to a throw to Mike Gesicki," Breer noted. "Gesicki came wide open down the seam. Mac Jones tucked the ball and ran with it. And the coaches, I know, were baffled, because he checked to that play.
"That play is designed to go to Gesicki. Gesicki comes wide open down the seam. The thing might be a touchdown, (but) he pats the ball, tucks it and runs around the corner and scrambles for three yards."
There's still time for Jones to redeem himself over the Patriots' final eight games. But something just doesn't seem right with the Alabama product this season, and Breer summed it up best.
"I think there's some self-doubt, too, because there are other examples of plays, I'm told, where he's checked to screens and they've gotten blown up," Breer added.
"It's like the wiring is off right now. Beyond everything else, the wiring is off."
Check out Breer's full discussion with co-hosts Michael Felger and Michael Holley in the YouTube video below.
