Mac Jones is the perfect QB for the Patriots and that’s all that matters – SB Nation

Praise for Mac Jones always seems to be couched in caveats. Ever present justifications why he’s really not that good, or that his success is due to the Patriots’ scheme rather than his own talent. This analysis is partially true, but bending over backwards to come up with reas…….

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Praise for Mac Jones always seems to be couched in caveats. Ever present justifications why he’s really not that good, or that his success is due to the Patriots’ scheme rather than his own talent. This analysis is partially true, but bending over backwards to come up with reasons to disparage Jones during a successful rookie campaign simply isn’t helpful. At worst, it’s a disingenuous attempt to protect preconceived notions from before the draft.

What makes Jones’ situation so interesting is that he was drafted by the perfect team to complement the skills he has. It’s not dissimilar to Kyler Murray, who benefitted beyond measure from being selected to pilot Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense. So why is the perception of these two players so different? What is Mac Jones doing that no other rookie in the 2021 class could have? Let’s get into it.

What the Patriots are doing to help Mac Jones

There are a lot of factors into why Jones is thriving, but the biggest difference between Jones and the rest of the rookie class is protection. The NFL has a serious protection problem right now that’s not really being discussed.

In recent years stalwart offensive tackles and guards retired from the league, and despite numerous high-profile prospects entering the fray, few actually panned out. As a result the line play as a whole in the league is pretty poor, making it a feeding frenzy for pass rushers. The Patriots, unlike the Jaguars, Jets or Bears, all of whom are starting rookie QBs, is that New England had a line to help Jones build some confidence. That doesn’t mean he’s not getting sacked, in fact, he’s been brought down 24 times this season — but there hasn’t been nearly the amount of pressure others have faced.

Rookie QB pressure rate

  • Zach Wilson: 26.2%
  • Trevor Lawrence: 21.8%
  • Justin Fields: 20.7%
  • Mac Jones: 17.7%

This equates to roughly 20-25 less pressures for Jones this season than the nearest rookie. That’s almost a full game of fewer pressures. That matters a lot.

The other major aspect to Jones thriving is is how the Patriots aren’t asking him to throw too far downfield. Jones has 5.4 completed air yards per throw, 28th in the NFL. This means his passes only travel on average 5.4 yards through the air before the catch, but before you …….

Source: https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2021/11/29/22807681/mac-jones-perfect-qb-patriots-stats-nfl