Can you blame Mac Jones for being frustrated amid the loss to the Raiders? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Mac Jones has tried to keep things positive this preseason, stressing the importance of patience while the New England Patriots adapt to a new offensive scheme and celebrating when the team makes progress.
The second-year quarterback appeared to snap Friday night, however, slamming a tablet in frustration after another three-and-out drive in New England’s preseason finale against the Raiders in Las Vegas.
Jones placed the blame on himself after the game — a 23-6 loss in which he completed 9 of 13 passes for 71 yards and an interception — telling reporters, “I have to do a better job.”
But in a new episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast, Patriots Insiders Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry both admitted they can’t blame Jones for blowing off a little steam Friday night given the situation he was in.
Patriots Talk: Patriots flounder in preseason finale against Raiders | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
“I think because of the uniqueness of the coaching staff situation here, I side with the player in this situation — especially when you look at where we are right now and who was on the opposite sideline tonight,” Perry said, referring to the Raiders. head coach Josh McDaniels, who helped Jones become the NFL’s best rookie quarterback last season as New England’s offensive coordinator.
“The guy who taught Mac Jones most of what he knew in pro football through his first season when he makes a Pro Bowl is sitting there watching Mac Jones grind away, fight through it, get pissed off on the sidelines when it doesn’t go his way.
“Mac Jones knows that guy is right there. And he should be right here, or at least (Jones) wish(es) he was right here helping (him) through this. And now I wonder if he feels like he’s flailing away in ocean of football information and trying to figure out how to make this thing right.
“Because, again, the coaching staff, as we’ve pointed out many times, they’re as reliant on him as he is on them, if not more so.”
Perry’s Mailbag: Add ’emotional beacon’ to Mac Jones’ responsibilities
Jones went from the seasoned McDaniels to Matt Patricia, who appears to be the Patriots’ offensive play-caller despite no prior experience in that role. Based on what we’ve seen this preseason, there have been significant growing pains.
Adding insult to injury for Jones was that former Patriots backup Jarrett Stidham looked sharp running McDaniels’ offense for Las Vegas, completing 4 of 6 passes for 72 yards and a 106.7 passer rating while leading two Raiders scoring drives against New England’s starting defense.
“Jones looks across the field and sees his former backup running the offense that got him to a Pro Bowl as a rookie (and) kind of works like clockwork, surrounded by twos and threes offensively,” Curran said.
“I mean, it’s an excellent point to look at the totality of the picture. You’ve got a Pro Bowl quarterback in Mac Jones, floundering around in an offense, paddling around in scuba fins on the sidelines trying to run. And on the on the other hand, it’s a guy the Patriots were happy to part with in Jarrett Stidham zipping up and down the (field) in track shoes.”
The Patriots still have 15 days to prepare for their regular-season opener against the Miami Dolphins, and they should improve on offense over time as Jones and his teammates adapt to the new scheme. But Jones’ patience is certainly being tested this preseason.
To hear a breakdown of Friday’s Patriots-Raiders game, how the rest of the NFL views the Patriots’ offense and more, subscribe to the Patriots Talk Podcast or watch on YouTube below.