Jones is carrying himself like a veteran on the field and inspiring faith from the teammates around him. He’s averaging 5.3 yards YAC this season, which is first among rookies and puts him in the same ballpark as Brady (5.4), Kyler Murray (5.6) and Matthew Stafford (5.6). Despite his low air yards, the yards-after-catch he’s helped create are excellent as a rookie. Jones has been simply brilliant at processing the field after the snap and finding soft spots in the defense. #Qb for mac help macWhat Mac Jones is doing to help the PatriotsĮxecuting a vision is critically important too, and despite the misconception being that more air yards equals more skill, it actually takes a lot of processing and understanding at the point of attack to excel. So in short, good protection, not asking too much - but that isn’t a reason to denigrate Jones, because some of the league’s best QBs are doing it. ![]() This means his passes only travel on average 5.4 yards through the air before the catch, but before you think this means Jones can’t throw deep, consider that Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes both have lower air yards ratings this season, and Tom Brady is just 0.3 yards more. Jones has 5.4 completed air yards per throw, 28th in the NFL. ![]() The other major aspect to Jones thriving is is how the Patriots aren’t asking him to throw too far downfield. #Qb for mac help fullThat’s almost a full game of fewer pressures. This equates to roughly 20-25 less pressures for Jones this season than the nearest rookie. 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. 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. As a result the line play as a whole in the league is pretty poor, making it a feeding frenzy for pass rushers. 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. The NFL has a serious protection problem right now that’s not really being discussed. 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. What the Patriots are doing to help Mac Jones 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. It’s not dissimilar to Kyler Murray, who benefitted beyond measure from being selected to pilot Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense. ![]() What makes Jones’ situation so interesting is that he was drafted by the perfect team to complement the skills he has. At worst, it’s a disingenuous attempt to protect preconceived notions from before the draft. 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. 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. Praise for Mac Jones always seems to be couched in caveats.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |