ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 01: Former Atlanta Falcons player Michael Vick walks on the field prior to the game against the New Orleans Saints at the Georgia Dome on January 1, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Michael Vick thinks that Mac Jones must take matters into his own hands this season.
During FS1’s pre-game Week 2 show (h/t NESN), the former quarterback didn’t like what he saw from New England’s offense during last Sunday’s 20-7 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
“He’s gonna have to overcome coaching,” Vick said. “I think it’s going to be difficult for him going down the stretch. The thing is, (the Patriots) took two steps forward last week and then 10 steps back. They made plays, they just didn’t finish drives.”
Vick apparently isn’t confident in Matt Patricia and Joe Judge fixing the offense, and he called on Jones to take ownership of New England’s offense.
“And when I mean ‘overcome coaching,’ it means he’s gonna have to be special,” Vick continued. “He’s gonna have to be Patrick Mahomes or Justin Herbert in Year 2 — if that even makes sense. But he has to just be different and has to show that he can play this position at a high level.”
Quite frankly, Jones isn’t Mahomes or Herbert.
The first-round pick had the best rookie season among the incoming 2021 quarterback class, posting a 92.5 quarterback rating with a 67.6 percent completion rate and 22 touchdown throws. Yet Jones rarely burned defenses deep.
If anything, Jones is the type of player who will flourish because of good coaching, not excel in spite of it because of pure talent.
Vick is probably setting the bar unreasonably high for Jones, but he’s hardly the only person worried about New England’s coaching. According to NFL Network’s Mike Giardi, Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers raised concerns over “what the plan is” on offense.
Jones isn’t ready to put a team on his back despite suboptimal play-calling. However, the Patriots jumped to a 10-3 lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers following a 44-yard touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor late in the second quarter.
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