How confident are you now that Mac Jones is “the guy”? 1-10

[Lagaffe_07]

Point taken. Yea yards, TDs and comp % was my basis for the comparison.

I get you.

i honestly have no clue what Mac will become. I know we are afraid of falling into the QB purgatory but for me one year is too soon to call what Mac will become in the futur.

we were calling Josh Allen a bust and were laughing of the Bills after his first year, he looks pretty good now. Mayfield had a very similar year in his rookie season and I’m sure Browns fans were sure they had the next best thing too.

from what I have seen until now, I would be very surprised if he becomes an elite QB. I think he is a guy that needs elite talents around him to be successful and will not be a guy that can carry a team.

it will hard for Bill, does he invest heavily in the defense as always or does he invest in the offense to help Mac? In my opinion, if Bill continues to build teams like he did with Brady, it will be thought for Mac. And I will add that I think the offensive weapons will be the same next year, maybe add a draft pick.

 

[sb1]

Whoever added the poll - thanks. Wanted to do that but created the post without it by accident so just went with it.

 

[masterbouncer]

who is the QB right now in the league that has no elite offensive talent and carring his team like some are expecting here from Mac?

thinking about good QBs like Rodgers, Brady, Mahomes etc all of them, as great as they are, have exceptional talent around them to throw to, in NE there is no one even close to that level on receiver side like Hill, Kelce, Gronk, Evens, Godwin, Adams, etc.

of course he needs a good cast around him, with Harry you can't win **** as QB

Allen became good since he got Diggs to throw to and Beasley etc. Burrow has Chase, Higgins, Boyd, its not like all those QB are carrying the team on their own, even Brady struggled to carry this team with ZERO speed on offense and no one being able to get open beside banged up Edelman

 

[Huckleberry1]

Does anyone want my opinion?

No. However if some poster’s here need a book of excuses your input after the Patriots beat the Bills is the go to guide.

 

[sb1]

Yeah this ranking is based on the same thing as the last version of this poll earlier in the season - based on what you've seen this season are you confident that in 5 years from now Mac will still be our guy. Sounds like whoever ranked him 1 thinks the Pats should move on and look for a new QB right now.

IMO the Patriots got it right with their 15th pick. They didn't have to trade any assets to get their guy. I think the pundits also got it right about Mac - he proved he does indeed have that high floor, he IS the most polished and NFL ready. You don't look at him and say he shouldn't be starting yet. He is a viable starter in this league and proved it. His ceiling is TBD. Let's see what next season brings. Right now I don't think Mac is ready yet to elevate a team to become better than they really are like Brady can. Only the elite of the elite can do that.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I get you.

i honestly have no clue what Mac will become. I know we are afraid of falling into the QB purgatory but for me one year is too soon to call what Mac will become in the futur.

we were calling Josh Allen a bust and were laughing of the Bills after his first year, he looks pretty good now. Mayfield had a very similar year in his rookie season and I’m sure Browns fans were sure they had the next best thing too.

from what I have seen until now, I would be very surprised if he becomes an elite QB. I think he is a guy that needs elite talents around him to be successful and will not be a guy that can carry a team.

it will hard for Bill, does he invest heavily in the defense as always or does he invest in the offense to help Mac? In my opinion, if Bill continues to build teams like he did with Brady, it will be thought for Mac. And I will add that I think the offensive weapons will be the same next year, maybe add a draft pick.

Yep. My key barometer to measure a QB is clutchness and operating under pressure. We saw it from Tom very early in his career.

With Mac we haven't seen it quite yet. He has led the team back from sizable deficits but because the D hasn't come up with that big stop he hasn't been in the situation to demonstrate how truly good he is in the clutch. Down 4-1:23 remaining-1 timeout left-ball at midfield type -scenario.

 

[borg]

Scanning the NFL's starting QBs list and comparing 3 identifiable physical traits that enable NFL QBs to succeed.....
a) Athleticism
b) Arm Strength
c) Height

The least athletic QBs currently in the league are the aging pocket passers (Big Ben, Matt Ryan, Brady, etc) who stand 6'4" or more and possess big arms. Superior field vision is the product of their physical height advantage vs the undersized QB who must contend with limited sightlines and also must adjust launch angle to clear the behemoths in front of him.
The most athletic QBs are typically height challenged but all possess plus arm strength

Look at the top 10 list of QBs, they all possess two of these physical traits and several all 3.

Mac is at the bottom of (a) & (b) and borderline (c)

Possessing accuracy and playbook knowledge and intangibles are all important, but physical traits matter at this level and our guy is limited.

I'm not confident
I hope I'm wrong

 

[203Pat]

I would say I am about a 7. I think a lot will depend on the circumstances around him. I know Mac is a rookie and this isn't fair to say yet but right now Mac is not "the rising tide lifting all ships". We got used to watching the greatest QB of all time turning UPS drivers and landscapers into functional NFL receivers and while I don’t think Mac will ever be able to elevate those around him like Brady did every good QB needs to have that ability to some extent. The overall core around him this year I would give a B. His offensive line has been a little up and down but he has two good RB's to take some pressure off him, he has a good red zone threat TE, and a pedestrian group of receivers.

Overall I like what I have seen from Mac for the most part. I think some of the skills that make a high end NFL starter are there but I also worry a little bit about the arm strength and how he performs under pressure. Regardless I think Mac is someone we can build around in his rookie deal and then we will see where he is at by the end of year 3 when I think it would be fair to cast judgment on him.

 

[libra957]

Mack is just a rookie,nothing more.

 

[JayNM]

Not that important. Im thrilled that he had the year that he had, we can definitely see some great great qualities already.

But its year 2 where we will know if he is the guy or not

EDIT. Im going with 6. Yep

 

[archstanton543]

My answer is5 because I don't know yet. He has one season under his belt. If he shows up at TC toned, faster, stronger, the number inches up. If he then shows that he reads defenses better, delivers the ball faster and finds his targets more often, it goes up another notch.

Best rookie season by a Pats QB in a half century and it rates a 5. Tough crowd indeed.

 

[Pats2000]

Ok.

I think he is going to have a good career. A Philip Rivers type career.

Numerous playoffs. Lots of winning seasons. But also a few meh seasons now and then.

I don’t personally think he will be able to develop his arm enough to be true-elite. Meaning, top-5.

That elite arm strength some guys have gives them an extra second or so to find a WR, because they can rely on being able to zip it in with incredible velocity.

This video gives a good example of what I mean:




The Bills took advantage of Mac’s less than perfect arm velocity during the 2nd meeting. I watched a Patriots reporters analysis video that showed that the Bills essentially dared Mac to throw it outside (toward the boundary) and he wouldn’t.

Some guys (Brees, for example) are able to win a SB despite this, because they have elite anticipation and recognition. Can Mac be that person? Sure. He’s a smart kid. But so few ever develop that elite anticipation so it would be difficult.

Brady was that rare combination of good arm strength AND elite anticipation and recognition, plus a win at all costs attitude. It’s like he was made in Madden and someone just set all the skills to a “99” rating. All of those factors made him the GOAT.

So based on what i’ve seen so far from Mac, i’m going with a career projection of “Good, but not great.”

PS, I also haven’t seen Mac go into beast mode yet. You know when you see it in a QB’s eyes that they’d rather lose a limb than lose the game? So they run over a LB for a first down or sacrifice their body to throw a block for the RB, etc. I’m waiting to see that fire from Mac. That beast attitude.

Since you probably haven't been watching all of the Pats games, I don't know why Mac didn't go to the boundary on the Bills game. But he's thrown to the outside plenty with a lot of success. He's a rookie, Allen looked like a bust his rookie year.

 

[Kontradiction]

7 for me as well. He sees the field well and the mental aspects of the game are strong. He can read a defense pre and post-snap well for a rookie. He needs to get better at looking off the safety and needs to work on his functional strength. The good news is that these are both areas in which he can easily improve. If he was a moron who couldn’t read a defense, he’d already be a bust.

 

[UrbanCowboy]

8.5. Hiccups to be expected. A few defensive stops and he'd have comebacks under his belt. Love the decision-making and attitude. Think we have a real winner here.

 

[BigPeteG]

BB doesn't really have guys. I'd go with 7. But at anytime he could trade or draft a guy with superior physical characteristics to Mac. I wouldn't be surprised if he took a flyer at some QB this year in the draft. Some Trey Lance type falls to the third round - he will take them.

People think somehow that BB only goes for cerebral smart QBs who know how to play. But that's not really true - we just came off a year of Cam Newton. I don't think he has any immediate plans to move on from Mac - that's why I go with 7. But it's always a possibility that he gets another guy in there to push him.

I think Stidham is gone. There will be a new prospect brought after another year of Mac I would guess.

 

[XLIX]

80 mil in offseason for pass catchers, most ever spent in the BB era.

And yet the best pass catcher on the team remains the undrafted free agent out of NC State.

I don't care how much was spent, when I look at the pass catchers on this team, it is obscenely underwhelming. There's no legit #1.

 

[pazrul72]

Without a clear definition of "the guy" its hard to answer. Top 5 getting consideration for All Pro winning multiple SBs? About a 2. Top 10-15 with a handful of pro bowl selections and being a 10 year starter that is competitive year in and year out, winning one SB when everything falls right? Thats my definition and why I voted 7. I think its very clear Mac has a large number of qualities you need to be a successful NFL QB. Poise, Anticipation, Ability to read the field and make the right throw, Leadership and getting guys to play hard for you. Those are some fine building blocks and hopefully he only gets better. Why isnt he higher scored then? Because he came in as the most NFL ready low floor prospect and thats exactly how he has played. If this is as good as he will ever gets (I dont believe that) then it's not enough for him to be a long term starter. Still I am hopeful and excited that the Pats have a guy who can make sure we have meaningful football to watch in december and January for the next decade.

 

[50-yard-line]

I started at 5-6 when the first poll was put out here, then went to 7-8 (really, 7).

That's where I remain. There haven't been many rookie QBs I'd put above that mark. When i think back, there are a few I had in that ballpark - some have improved greatly, while others busted.

I don't see Mac Jones busting - he's too cerebral and has a strong work ethic. He's got a lot to learn and a lot to work on, and most of all, he has to make this team HIS team.

7. We won't know for 2 more years which way that's really going.

 

[aluminum seats]

This would be easier if the defense had been able to make the big stop in so many of these games. There's a vast middle ground for QBs and teams--all the "they lost 6 games by a total of 4 points" bs. The big difference is do they make the plays to win at the end, and there have been several games where we could have seen that if the defense hadn't spit the bit.

Dallas is one of the few games where he had a chance. He had the ball and the lead with 2 minutes left and had a delay of game and pick 6, then had the ball near midfield in OT and couldn't keep it moving. But that was earlier in the season. So we'll see.

 

[Bill Lee]

This is a reasonable question.

What I think is...

Mac will continue to bust his ass to improve
He will improve physically (body, arm strength, etc)
He will become proficient in the trade of being an NFL QB and running this offense at a high level
He will continue to evolve into a solid locker room/NEP culture leader

but I still have questions..

Needs to demonstrate come-from-behind success
Needs to win in the playoffs

I guess i'm a 7.5

I definitely think he will learn from his mistakes and will learn even more about reading defenses and get even more in sync with his teammates.

I also think the team will make future personnel decisions based on his strengths and weaknesses.

Remember, our QB1 during FA was Cam not Mac and now we know it's gonna be Mac going forward for at least the next few seasons.

My view of his weaknesses are similar to what I saw expressed on an evaluation that happens to be on patriots.com:

Average size and mobility…Not an explosive downfield thrower nor a big-play threat with his feet …Limited effectiveness outside the pocket/on the move…

Ref: Scouting Profile: Mac Jones

Think he falls a bit short of Dak's running and deep ball throwing ability.

Compare to positives:

Advanced understanding of the game…Poised in pocket, compact throwing motion…Quick processor and strong decision making…great anticipatory thrower, goes through progression and can throw in-rhythm off the break…Excellent accuracy and understanding of ball placement…Good feet in pocket, avoids rush with subtle movement, understands where pressure will come from…Will take big hits to deliver the ball…Can plant and deliver strikes…Good understanding of the playbook and scheme…Highly competitive…

Then consider we only gave up #15 to get him and have him under control for his first five seasons, and in balance this makes him an 8 in my book.

He has some weaknesses, but he has more than enough positives to make up for the negatives, and has a good set up to help him improve.