An FYI On Mac Jones

[captain stone]

He's trying to make to many off platform throws, that's not his strength. The ball sails on him when that happens

Then he needs to learn how to throw those types of passes better, because a QB has to make at least a couple of off-platform completions every single game now...

 

[Hyped]

Is the team around him good enough to go to that next level?

In the first few games this board was on fire criticizing the O-line play and the offensive play calling, and @Tunescribe has described some of the break downs in the receiver's actions too.

Doesn't it make sense to stay vanilla while the O-line learns their roles, the receivers get more in sync with the QB, the play calling adapts to circumstances better, etc?

Go with a run-heavy attack and a passing game designed for safe passes with some YAC, rather than game breakers that seem to end up as 50/50 balls and INTs?

Maybe the team as a whole isn't ready for that next level, and expecting Jones to elevate the team is asking too much.

I pretty much feel this year is another year of learning, sorting out who stays and who goes, and with a decent off season of dropping some FAs (bye, bye Agholor), picking up some new ones, and hopefully another solid draft we can really contend next season.

There is no time like the present.

Can we hang with the Bills playing conservatively? We did last year with the aid of howling winds...did okay in Foxboro before faltering in the 2nd half. Then the wild card loss...we fell behind early...and Jones tried to go for the house...and Hyde made a great play. Make no mistake...our defense can play with anyone...but asking them to pitch a shut out vs. a high powered offense over multiple drives is just too much. Best defense is a good offense which limits the opposition's drive/T.O.P., keeps our D fresh, and also puts the onus on the opponent to keep pace by airing the ball.

Right now, I would say that our offensive line has pretty much gelled...except for the Wynn/Cannon RT thing. The receivers....nope...not up to par right now...everyone except for Meyers...and I liked how we got Henry involved on Sunday...maybe bring back some more Henry routes and play action it a bit more.... BUT at the end of the day...we need to be able to hit Agholor and Parker for chunk plays/red zone TD's...

 

[captain stone]

After the buy the team sucked.

I don't know what the heck happened to them during the bye week... I thought they would be ready to throw the Clots outta their own club (again) that night, but then the turnovers, penalties, brain farts, bad QB play & sieve defense began...

 

[Brotherblues]

I don't know what the heck happened to them during the bye week... I thought they would be ready to throw the Clots outta the club that night, but then the turnovers, penalties, brain farts, bad QB play & sieve defense began...

The quality of opponents changed.

 

[Bill Lee]

There is no time like the present.

Counter point: in 2018 we beat the Rams in the Super Bowl by playing conservatively.

Can we hang with the Bills playing conservatively? We did last year with the aid of howling winds...did okay in Foxboro before faltering in the 2nd half. Then the wild card loss...we fell behind early...and Jones tried to go for the house...and Hyde made a great play. Make no mistake...our defense can play with anyone...but asking them to pitch a shut out vs. a high powered offense over multiple drives is just too much. Best defense is a good offense which limits the opposition's drive/T.O.P., keeps our D fresh, and also puts the onus on the opponent to keep pace by airing the ball.

I don't think we can hang with the Bills this year no matter how we play. Their O is too strong and our O is not strong enough. I think we need to strengthen our fundamentals, figure out who to keep and who to toss for next season, and try to play clean football.

Right now, I would say that our offensive line has pretty much gelled...except for the Wynn/Cannon RT thing. The receivers....nope...not up to par right now...everyone except for Meyers...and I liked how we got Henry involved on Sunday...maybe bring back some more Henry routes and play action it a bit more.... BUT at the end of the day...we need to be able to hit Agholor and Parker for chunk plays/red zone TD's...

Maybe that will come if we can build from a solid core and not beat ourselves with turnovers, which seem to happen when we're going for chunk plays.

 

[woolster22]

This take is kind of misguided. There is no evidence that Zapoe’s college receivers were any less open. You could just as easily say that Mac played against much better corners, and defenses.

Mac was consistently throwing to MULTIPLE eventual starting WRs in the NFL. I'm fairly certain two he was throwing to before coming out went RD1, ffs. It is not a stretch to claim that Mac had better WRs in Bama than in NE thus far.

I will cede that thus years group seems to match up on paper well - we'll see if they can all make anything of the collective speed with Thornton back in the fold and Harris out.

 

[captain stone]

The quality of opponents changed.

@ IND
BUF
JAX
@ MIA

Based upon how cleanly they had been playing the previous 7 games, I felt going into Indy that winning 3 of their last 4 was not only possible, but expected... Yeah the injuries started to mount, but that was an unacceptable way to end the season... Wentz played like slop, and Miami was dealing with its own issues...

 

[KingBilliam]

I have this team being good next year. year 3. The things have to come together. They could have made great leaps and bounds this year, but now because of Mac's injury, we are running last years offense, and that is pretty simple to stop for a good defensive team. Be prepared for an 8-9 or less this season, and a hot seat like you've never seen before for 2023-24. But it takes time for a team to come together, some of the pricey FA's will hit the road, and the ones that get resigned will be the ones who produce down the stretch.
I just don't think that Mac can now ever be the guy. He doesn't have the fire. idk about who as a replacement. Zappe doesn't have any mustard on his throws, and teams haven't seen enough film on him to figure him out. Its only a matter of time.
But that Lions game was great. Our crowd ROCKED.

 

[Zuma]

 

[pats_premi]

I don’t have a bias opinion toward Mac or Zappe. However, i would like one of them to have a game defining/come from behind win in the fourth quarter.

 

[Hyped]

Counter point: in 2018 we beat the Rams in the Super Bowl by playing conservatively.


I don't think we can hang with the Bills this year no matter how we play. Their O is too strong and our O is not strong enough. I think we need to strengthen our fundamentals, figure out who to keep and who to toss for next season, and try to play clean football.


Maybe that will come if we can build from a solid core and not beat ourselves with turnovers, which seem to happen when we're going for chunk plays.

You say we need to strengthen our fundamentals and I agree..but I see it more as developing fundamentals for an offense that can attack all parts of the field and make the D cover every blade of grass.

 

[Patnation21]

Did he?
Final 5 games (1W-4L) including playoffs: Mac had 8 TDs / 7 INTs
Removing the Jax blowout win: 5 TDs / 7 INTs

Yep he got worse last year and carried it over to this year.

 

[catent]

I don't think Mac Jones is a bad QB, and I do think he can improve. I also think he's good enough for them to win games with right now. I like the guy.

I just don't buy that 2022 Mac Jones is this new player that we didn't see any of last season. I'm telling you, many of the things people are critiquing in his play this season were also present last season, to varying extents.

He's not a radically different player this season compared to last, where a bunch of bad habits all of a sudden appeared out of nowhere.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I don't think Mac Jones is a bad QB, and I do think he can improve. I also think he's good enough for them to win games with right now. I like the guy.

I just don't buy that 2022 Mac Jones is this new player that we didn't see any of last season. I'm telling you, many of the things people are critiquing in his play this season were also present last season, to varying extents.

He's not a radically different player this season compared to last, where a bunch of bad habits all of a sudden appeared out of nowhere.

For arguments sake, let’s say zappe over performs and bb decides zappe is his qb going forward; what could bb get on the trade market for jones?

 

[Ian]

For arguments sake, let’s say zappe over performs and bb decides zappe is his qb going forward; what could bb get on the trade market for jones?

Jimmy Garoppolo and probably a second from Shanahan, and Shanahan probably wouldn't be able to say yes fast enough after screwing it up the first time. He'd probably take Jones in a heartbeat at this point and deal with Lance later.

 

[GreenCow]

Ian, I get you, some of his Ints have been bad, but it is the dropped Ints where he just threw it straight to a defender that bothers me the most. He has no composure when things goes slightly different and from then on, it is stupidity unbounded.
I can't explain this and also think he has it in him to repeat this when under pressure and he loses his composure. This play is really bad for an NFL QB to make let alone someone who is expected to be franchise QB.

What shocked me the most out of the video you attached is how often your LT false starts and doesn’t get called for it.

There are times he is fully out of his stance and into blocking mode before the rest of the line has moved at all. How in the world did the refs not see these?

 

[Ian]

What shocked me the most out of the video you attached is how often your LT false starts and doesn’t get called for it.

There are times he is fully out of his stance and into blocking mode before the rest of the line has moved at all. How in the world did the refs not see these?

The ball is already snapped in that photo (Andrews' hand - the center - has already moved back) - so maybe he just has quick feet and sees it first?

 

[signbabybrady]

What shocked me the most out of the video you attached is how often your LT false starts and doesn’t get called for it.

There are times he is fully out of his stance and into blocking mode before the rest of the line has moved at all. How in the world did the refs not see these?

Ive been seeing this in more than just Patriots games it's weird

 

[GreenCow]

The ball is already snapped in that photo (Andrews' hand - the center - has already moved back) - so maybe he just has quick feet and sees it first?

Here is the video version if it helps:

 

[venecol]

"Zappe grew steadily at Houston Baptist, improving his gross production and completion percentage each season. In his final two years, he threw 50 touchdowns to 16 interceptions. And on his largest stage, against Texas Tech in 2020, Zappe threw for 567 yards and four touchdowns. HBU, entering the game as 41.5-point underdogs, lost just 35-33."

41.5 pt dogs, lose by 2, lol. This kid is special. Look at how he steadily improved to a whopping 5.6:1 TD:INT ratio in a record setting year.




"The move from FCS to FBS play didn’t faze him, Zappe instead breaking an 18-year-old NCAA passing record with 5,967 yards. His 62 touchdowns in 14 games also set a new NCAA mark, supplanting former LSU and current Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s previous record of 60 (in 15 games). And in games against the Big Ten’s Indiana and No. 17 Michigan State, Zappe rose to the occasion. He completed more than 70% of his passes each game, tossing six total touchdowns to no interceptions."

Patricia needs to let him fling it. Remove the training wheels, he doesn't need them. For those of you w/ the clichè that because he's a rookie he needs to be managed, just stop. I'm so excited, we've got ourselves a wunderkind.

Zappe to Thornton for 70 yard TD
Zappe to Meyers for 35 yard TD
Zappe to Agholor for a 65 yard TD
Zappe to Parker for a 50 yard TD

Let Zappe cook.

Meet Bailey Zappe, who has Bill Belichick suddenly hedging on naming Patriots' starting QB

New England surprised plenty of people when they drafted Zappe in the fourth round last spring. Now, he's surprising them.

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