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Bill Belichick’s treatment of quarterback Mac Jones has raised the ire of a two-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots. The member of the Pats’ All-Dynasty Team has slammed his former head coach for acting as if Jones is Tom Brady.
Expecting Jones to do the things five-time Super Bowl MVP Brady did has held the younger passer back, according to Asante Samuel. He called Belichick out in a fiery Twitter post: “Let’s go Mac! He can actually do good if Bill stop doing stupid s*** thinking he got Tom.”
Samuel, who played cornerback for five seasons for Belichick from 2003-07, has highlighted a troubling reality for the Patriots in the post-Tom Brady era. Namely, how Belichick has struggled to craft even a serviceable offense since the QB many consider the greatest ever joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
The onus has been on Jones the last two years, but Belichick’s decisions with personnel and coaches have hardly helped the former Alabama standout make the grade in the NFL.
Bill Belichick Has Failed Mac Jones
Of all of Belichick’s questionable decisions to try and navigate life without Brady, his choice of play-callers last season stands out. Opting to hire his former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, alongside ex-special teams coach Joe Judge, to run the Jones-led offense belongs in the coaching hall of shame.
To the surprise of nobody, the results were far from ideal. The Patriots ranked 17th in points and 26th in yards, with Doug Kyed of AtoZ Sports summing up the problems through use of these bleak expected points added per play statistics.
The Patriots’ offense ranked 10th in EPA/play in 2021 with Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator.
They were 24th last season with Bill Belichick/Matt Patricia and Joe Judge at the helm.
Bill O’Brien should at least be able to split that difference as New England’s new OC.
Jones’ numbers understandably suffered in what was a small-ball offense. He averaged just 6.8 yards per pass attempt, per Pro Football Reference.
There wasn’t much of a big-play element in the Patriots’ passing game, but Patricia and Judge hardly gave Jones enough chances to attack defenses vertically. They reduced his opportunities to go long off play action, with Jones attempting just 80 PA passes, compared to 104 in 2021.
Some of the play designs Jones was asked to execute were “strange,” as Ted Nguyen of The Athletic put it after watching a bootleg call against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15.
Strange play call that Maxx Crosby destroys
3rd&11 4-minute drill. NE tries to run a boot with no routes meaning they’re hoping Mac Jones wins the edge for 11-yards.
Crosby goes for the fake initially and then chases Jones down.
Patricia and Judge have been replaced by the returning Bill O’Brien, but there’s a prevailing feeling the Patriots are still searching for an identity with Jones under center. It’s a search Belichick needs to bear fruit sooner rather than later, or else the Pats will be left behind in the AFC East, where the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets all boast more explosive passing games.
Bill Belichick Needs Mac Jones & New Weapons to Gel
What worked for the Patriots in the past is no longer as effective, but CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso believes New England’s “offensive philosophy has generally been the same since Brady’s departure with the focus being on high-percentage throws underneath and yards after the catch.”
That may be the case, but the Patriots’ YAC (yards after catch) totals were down in 2022, just 1,431 yards compared to 1,774 in the previous season. Those numbers suggest Jones’ problems are as much to do with personnel as scheme.
Belichick will hope new arrivals like wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki can change things. Recent history suggests it’s optimistic to believe Belichick’s latest recruits will make a difference after previous additions like Jonnu Smith, DeVante Paker and Kendrick Bourne have all struggled to make the grade.
Jones needs the new weapons to gel quickly, but his best option might be to consult Brady for some advice on how to play offense the Belichick way. Brady, Jones and another Super Bowl-winning defensive back, Devin McCourty, were all pictured in a post on the latter’s Instagram feed, a post highlighted by Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald.
Two retired guys and Mac Jones.
(Via @devinmccourty IG)
Brady knew what it took to win in Belichick’s system, but he often benefitted from better weapons than Jones had at his disposal. It’s why there are still calls for the Patriots to sign five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins before training camp.
Signing Hopkins would allow Jones to work with an entirely new supporting cast to go with a different coordinator. If he still struggles to generate offense after those moves, it will be hard for Samuel or anybody else to lay all the blame at Belichick’s door.
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Patriots Great Blasts Bill Belichick for ‘Stupid’ Mac Jones Treatment