Getty Mac Jones
The New England Patriots have struggled throughout 2022 and the same can be said about quarterback Mac Jones. It appears that the situation is so bad that Players within the organization are publicly calling for Jones to lose his job.
Heading into Week 16 the Patriots are 7-7 and are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. Part of the reason for their struggles has been the regression of Jones.
After a rookie season that saw Jones earn a Pro Bowl nod, the second-year quarterback has thrown for just 2,310 yards, seven touchdowns, and eight interceptions per Pro Football Reference. Jones is coming off another poor performance completing less than 50 percent of his passes and throwing for 112 yards.
After New England’s terrible collapse against the Las Vegas Raiders, fans wondered how the team would react in the following days. It appears that some players are starting to turn on one another.
Trent Brown liked a post from ESPN’s NFL Instagram page promoting the Patriots’ replacing Jones with Tom Brady or Jimmy Garoppolo.
Is Brown Listening to Bill Belichick?
After the loss, Patriots captain Matthew Slater revealed that Belichick preached unity after a loss that could result in players pointing fingers.
“Stay united,” Slater told media about Belichick’s message “You lose a game like this, a lot of teams turn on each other, start pointing fingers. There’s going to be people seeking to divide this team, seeking to tear it down, and we have to rise above all that.
“We can’t be divided,” Slater added. “I think there will be a lot of folks throwing a lot of stones. We just have to keep believing in one another. We can’t turn on each other, and just stay the course. Obviously, it goes without saying, it’s tough losing a game like that, but it’s nobody’s fault. We win as a team, lose as a team and we’ve just got to keep fighting.”
What Does Bill Belichick Think About Jones?
While the Patriots head coach didn’t come out and say that he wants to get rid of his quarterback, Belichick has been quite crucial of Jones.
This was evident after New England’s loss to the Raiders. Belichick was asked why the Patriots didn’t throw a hail mary and he told the media that New England’s offense “couldn’t throw it that far.”
That is quite the indictment of Jones’ arm strength with the required throw being less than 60 yards. Jones wasn’t candid when asked about the choice to not throw the ball.
“I think Coach Belichick makes the coaching decision there,” he said. “So we put a lot of emphasis on it and work really hard at it. Just got to do better execution as players.”
Later Jones’ tune turned when making a radio appearance on WEEI.
“No,” Jones responded if he thought the throw would have been too far, per his weekly appearance on “Merloni, Fauria & Mego.” “I think we obviously have a plan in that situation. You obviously have to think about everything in that situation, and that’s what (Belichick) did. That’s his job and he’s obviously done that for a long time, but whatever the play call is — I’m going to run it and do it the best I can.
“If it was a hail mary, it was a hail mary. If it was a run, it was a run,” he added. “That’s what I always tell myself regardless of the situation, ‘What’s my job and how do I do it?’ “