Getty Mac Jones
The New England Patriots will need Mac Jones to take the next step in his progression if the team is going to be successful in 2022 and Bill Belichick seems to believe the quarterback is well on his way to doing that.
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Patriots training camp is a day away, and the regular season is inching closer. Belichick spoke to the media on Tuesday and discussed Jones’ improvement headed into this upcoming season.
“In all areas, I think there’s a dramatic improvement… Everyone recognizes how well he prepares and how much further along he (is) than a year ago… He’s starting from a much, much higher point this year,” Belichick said.
Jones is coming off an impressive rookie season. He led rookies in passing touchdowns (22) and also threw for 3,801 yards.
How Has Jones Made These Improvements?
After an impressive rookie season, it would have been easy for Jones to rest on his laurels, but that is the exact opposite of what the quarterback did.
Jones has been working hard this offseason. Whether it be slimming down and changing his diet or hosting throwing sessions with teammates, the quarterback isn’t waiting until training camp to get to work.
Captain and center David Andrews spoke about Jones’ work ethic.
“The kid’s a hard worker,” Andrews said to 98.5 The Sports Hub. “He works his butt off, day in and day out. Sometimes I try to get him to take a deep breath, but that’s what you want out of your quarterback. He works really hard. He’s a tough kid. It’s been fun, for the past year, for me to get to know him and got a lot of respect for how he does things and how he carries himself.”
What Challenges Will Jones Face?
While Jones has been working hard, he will have some challenges. The biggest one will be involving who is relaying plays to the quarterback.
The Patriots will be operating without an official offensive coordinator in 2022. Joe Judge will be an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach while Matt Patricia will be a senior football advisor and offensive line coach.
Belichick talked about why he is choosing to operate without an official offensive coordinator on Tuesday morning.
“Look, I’m the head coach. Ultimately I’m responsible for everything,” Belichick said. “So we’ll just leave it at that. That’s what it is.”
A few minutes later Belichick once again reiterated that the Patriots aren’t big on titles.
“We’re not really big on titles and all that,” Belichick said. “I think everybody…it’s important that we all work together and create a good final product. That’s what we’re going to try to do. That’s what we’ve always done.”
So while titles have been given, there appears to be no clarity regarding who will be calling plays in 2022. No matter who it is, Jones will likely encounter a learning curve as New England installs a new offense.
But Patriots fans should be excited to hear Belichick outwardly praise Jones. It’s not exactly something that the head coach is known for.