Getty Mac Jones
Critics and pundits aren’t cutting Mac Jones and the New England Patriots much slack. A day after Jones and the Patriots fell to 1-2 following a 28-13 loss at home to the New Orleans Saints, the sharks were coming for the rookie quarterback and the coaching staff charged with developing him.
FOX Sports personality Nick Wright has publicly criticized the Patriots for babying Jones in regard to his handling of the team’s offense. Wright had previously said Jones was still ordering from the kids’ menu. On Monday, Wright took aim at Jones saying he “wasn’t wearing his big boy pants.” Wright slammed Jones and the Patriots with this epic rant:
I try to never give parenting advice because we’re all just doing our best, we’re all just guessing. And last week I broke that rule and I was punished for it. I said, ‘Hey, let Mac Jones not order off the kids menu.’ And the Patriots were like, ‘Hey, Nick’s Wright, let’s let him not order off the kids menu.’ Twenty minutes into the meal, he’s having an allergic reaction, they’re breaking out the EpiPen. They’re like, ‘Damn it, we knew it should’ve been chicken fingers. This shrimp primavera is no good.’ Because they let him try to be a big boy, and he wasn’t wearing his big boy pants, I’m sorry to tell you. It was a rough night for Mac Jones.
Wright went on to predict the Patriots will be slaughtered by Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in The G.O.A.T’s highly anticipated return to Foxboro in Week 4.
Here is a look at the entire segment:
What performance caught your eye in Week 3?
“I said, ‘Let Mac Jones not order off of the kids menu.’ … The Patriots let Mac Jones try and be a big boy, but he wasn’t wearing his big boy pants.” — @getnickwright
Not Everyone is Hating on Mac Jones
Wright is entitled to his opinion, but many see Jones’ performance and his standing as a budding quarterback in the league differently. Jones did throw three interceptions on Sunday.
However, if you saw the picks, then you know at least one of them wasn’t his fault and the last one came in a hopeless situation during the final seconds of the game. Putting this all into perspective, Jones wasn’t as bad as Wright implies.
Ryan Spagnoli of Pat’s Pulpit called Jones one of the Patriots’ biggest Week 3 winners. Spagnoli wrote:
Jones was much better than the box score may have shown, he had a 71.7 passing grade when he had a clean pocket on Sunday and moved the ball efficiently through the air, putting the Patriots in position to score points and get back into the game. Jones had some nice throws but was plagued by drops from Smith, Nelson Agholor and a miscue on a crucial fourth down when Henry jumped offsides. Jones has handled everything the Patriots have thrown at him and has consistently put the Patriots in a position to score points and win games. Unfortunately, the help around him hasn’t been able to hold up their end of the bargain through the first three games.
While pundits will always have definitive opinions–and many of them will be negative–the Patriots’ coaches have to help Jones escape some of this criticism.
The Optics on the Belichick-Jones Interaction After the Game Weren’t Good
I’m not sure what Belichick was doing with Jones after the game when he grabbed him by the wrist and stopped him from speaking with members of the Saints. Leading a grown man off the field by his wrists is asking for some harsh takes.
He may have had his reasons, but this kind of thing only lends itself to more diminishing comments. Everyone has to be more cognizant of the many layers in this situation.