Getty Mac Jones
The New England Patriots preseason kicks off on Thursday, August 11, but fans shouldn’t expect to see Mac Jones under center.
ALL the latest Patriots news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Patriots newsletter here!
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, “it would be a surprise” if Jones suits up against the New York Giants.
“Opinion/analysis: Based on today’s practice, it would be a surprise to me if Mac Jones plays on Thursday night,” Reiss tweeted. “The one time they used cards on defense to prep the offense for the Giants, it was Brian Hoyer/Bailey Zappe as the QBs.”
Opinion/analysis: Based on today’s practice, it would be a surprise to me if Mac Jones plays on Thursday night.
The one time they used cards on defense to prep the offense for the Giants, it was Brian Hoyer/Bailey Zappe as the QBs.
While Reiss has his thoughts, Bill Belichick has kept his cards close to his chest when asked whether the starters will play in the first game of the preseason.
“We haven’t even had those conversations yet,” Belichick said on Tuesday.
Have the Patriots Used Cards This Year?
Part of the reason that Reiss is taking so much stock into the card usage and the fact that Jones wasn’t under center is because it was the first time New England has done this in 2022.
“The Patriots worked off ‘cards’ for the first time, which is when they show one side of the ball something specific to do in preparation for an upcoming game,” Reiss wrote. “When the defense worked off cards, the quarterbacks were Brian Hoyer and Bailey Zappe, which could be a tip-off that Mac Jones (and many other starters) aren’t going to play in Thursday’s preseason opener against the Giants. Jones’ reps in that part of practice came when he ran ‘cards’ for the defense that figures to play most of the snaps Thursday night.”
To put it simply, the offense was being tested when Hoyer and Zappe were under center and when Jones was under center, the defense was being tested.
Does Jones Need the Reps?
The Patriots offense has been struggling leading up the first preseason game. David Andrews has expressed frustration and got kicked out of Tuesday’s practice after getting in a fight and Belichick has even mentioned he could reset the offense.
But Jones seems to have a more positive outlook on the future of his unit.
“I’m going to figure it out. I always have and I always will,” Jones stated. “At the end of the day, you’re going to have your ups and downs with anything new,” Jones said. “I’ve learned a lot of different systems and the guys around me have, too. We know what football looks like. We know what a good play looks like and the schematics behind it.
“It just needs to be more consistent. We all trust in each other. At the end of the day, when I walk on the field and there are 10 people that look into my eyes, I know they’re going to trust me to do the right thing on game day.”
So while live game reps could do Jones and the entire offense some good, Patriots fans shouldn’t expect to see him on Thursday night.