Mac Jones & the offense: Signs of improvement?

[Pats1971]

I wouldn't want Leftwich here. He's awful Do you even watch Bucs games? With that much talent you'd think they'd be less predictable,or try to space the field. Brady is always throwing into coverage. They always run on first down.

I am pretty sure the offense is not the issue on the Bucs. They have one of the worst pass defenses in football and they are 5-1.

 

[Pats1971]

The Tuck game?
2010 Suggs in the playoffs?
The SB against the Eagles?

Damn you could only come up with 3 in 20 years? Eagles one was a strip though, not a hit.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

He is playing like a Qb that has played 6 career games,

Well, no, not really. That's the point. He's setting records for completion percentage and passes completed. Could it be better? Sure. But you're taking an unreasonably hardline approach here.

 

[festy1986]

The Tuck game?
2010 Suggs in the playoffs?
The SB against the Eagles?

So 3 times ever. The eagles one was bad because he went to White all of the Superbowl the year before but he was his last read on this particular play and he was wide open the whole time.

Mac should of seen his player coming as it wasn't even a true blind side.

 

[50-yard-line]

Damn you could only come up with 3 in 20 years? Eagles one was a strip though, not a hit.

In two minutes?

 

[Pats1971]

Well, no, not really. That's the point. He's setting records for completion percentage and passes completed. Could it be better? Sure. But you're taking an unreasonably hardline approach here.

He is 21st in the league in QB grade...I am not like making up things, this is what he is. Throwing safe 3 yard passes is not helping the team win regardless of his pct. He is 29th in the stat big time throws. If they do not let him take risky throws, then its going to be this until he does.

 

[Marko]

I thought to myself yesterday, despite the way we lost, there is football after Brady in New England.

That future is Mac Jones.

So stats show what they show. Some stats mean more than others. Some mean squat. So far, he's passed the eye test. He doesn't let mistakes bother him. He plays heads up football for the most part. All that stuff will get better with experience.

so yeah... Mac effing Jones is the man.

Exactly! If I hear another tired old cliche from a fan that's acting like they had anything to do with the last 20 years of success I will puke.
Brady is gone, he Is not coming back! You are what your record says and good teams win close games, but the latter is often learned, and often it means you need one player, not a revamp.
There are things that demonstrate more than the record. The freakin 2002 team was the worst 9-7 team I ever saw because it took a while for teams to realize we had a historically bad run defense, and the 2019 team played the worst QBs in their first 4 games in history. I was at the game yesterday and attended all games from 2015-2019, this was as hard a fought game as any I have seen. The team needs a go-to guy, to seal the deal and they lost James White, and haven't found a replacement for him or Edelman this year. I like this team and am enjoying the rebuild because I see both improvement and potential. We need to see if Bourne can be a go-to guy, he seems to be the best candidate ATM.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

If you’re excited about Mac or skeptical about Mac, I can see either perspective on this one. But I think the needle is gravitating towards excited for me. I don’t worry much about the INTs or fumbles right now. What I look at are the more difficult passes (he had several yesterday). If he can hit those - even if he isn’t Mahomes but can at least make defenses pay with a big play - then combined with his short pass accuracy, there’s reason to believe he’s going to make it.

All that said, every first round QB is “almost ready to break out” and fans are waiting for that big four game stretch that often never happens. Flashes of high level play pulled back by limitations. So, while I like what I see, I won’t assume there’s a big progression coming until it happens.

 

[Pats1971]

If you’re excited about Mac or skeptical about Mac, I can see either perspective on this one. But I think the needle is gravitating towards excited for me. I don’t worry much about the INTs or fumbles right now. What I look at are the more difficult passes (he had several yesterday). If he can hit those - even if he isn’t Mahomes but can at least make defenses pay with a big play - then combined with his short pass accuracy, there’s reason to believe he’s going to make it.

All that said, every first round QB is “almost ready to break out” and fans are waiting for that big four game stretch that often never happens. Flashes of high level play pulled back by limitations. So, while I like what I see, I won’t assume there’s a big progression coming until it happens.

Well I mean thats just it. He has not really been even tested that much. We have played a pretty low end ranked defenses except for the saints who made our offense look like crap. Its way to early to say anything, except what he is right now, thats it. He will have to get way better, it cannot end here. This cannot be what he is. Some players, never get better, some get worse, some get better. Its not even being skeptical. Skeptical would mean I think he will never be able to get better. I would not say that even if he had 0 td's and 15 ints right now. So not enough time to be skeptical, but not enough time or evidence that he is Joe Montana either.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

A nice compilation of all of Mac's throws from yesterday. Really, the only bad throws he made were the pick 6 to Diggs and the missed throw on 3rd and 3 in OT. I don't understand anyone who is complaining about the level of QB play. The tape tells us that Mac was under duress the whole game.

Overall, I think Mac played an excellent game. That pass to Henry was perfectly thrown and the video showed his anticipation.

Trying not to be negative, but just pointing out how big plays and big YAC opportunities can be missed by just looking at where wide receivers catch the ball. It can also be about the throws and where they put the receiver.

Here’s the second pass of the game to Bolden. I tried to pause it at the exact moment. There’s no defenders behind Bolden, so a pass that hits him in stride may be a 61 yard touchdown. Instead the ball is underthrown and Bolden has to come back to catch it and falls down. The Patriots scored anyway. It isn’t a pass that every QB is going to make, but the big play opportunity is there.



Here’s another one…a lot of people knock Agholor’s supposed lack of playmaking skills, but look where he is right here. Is a good throw a touchdown? Maybe, maybe not. A great one is a touchdown. The throw instead falls short and Agholor has to slow down and make a falling catch. Another big play that’s there. I’ll take the completion, but let’s note that McDaniels and Agholor did their job in getting him behind the defense.

 

[Pats1971]

Overall, I think Mac played an excellent game. That pass to Henry was perfectly thrown and the video showed his anticipation.

Trying not to be negative, but just pointing out how big plays and big YAC opportunities can be missed by just looking at where wide receivers catch the ball. It can also be about the throws and where they put the receiver.

Here’s the second pass of the game to Bolden. I tried to pause it at the exact moment. There’s no defenders behind Bolden, so a pass that hits him in stride may be a 61 yard touchdown. Instead the ball is underthrown and Bolden has to come back to catch it and falls down. The Patriots scored anyway. It isn’t a pass that every QB is going to make, but the big play opportunity is there.

View attachment 36741

Here’s another one…a lot of people knock Agholor supposed lack of playmaking skills, but look where he is right here. Is a good throw a touchdown? Maybe, maybe not. A great one is a touchdown. The throw instead falls short and Agholor has to slow down and make a falling catch. Another big play that’s there. I’ll take the completion, but let’s note that McDaniels and Agholor did their job in getting him behind the defense.

View attachment 36742

Great post and video. All completions are not created equal. Good QB's do what is called throwing guys open. placing a ball here so that it turns here, etc etc. Some of that is being on the same page with the wideout. Its the dfference of throw at an open receiver or throwing to where the receiver will be when he will be open.

 

[holyredeemer]

He's a turnover machine, I can't remember the last time Brady took a blindsided spear and fumbled a key possession. His INT was also his fault as he completely shanked a wide open receiver.

Kind of like when Brady during a key moment in a Super Bowl had Graham in his face and decided to press forward anyway.

 

[upstater1]

I am pretty sure the offense is not the issue on the Bucs. They have one of the worst pass defenses in football and they are 5-1.

I don't think the Bucs have any issues. They are supremely talented. I'm saying their offensive coordinator doesn't seem to have much to do with it.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Damn you could only come up with 3 in 20 years? Eagles one was a strip though, not a hit.

The Suh hit 2015 regular season finale. I bring this one up since there are similarities in how bad the OLs were for both squads.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

and nobody said this before 2019.

ok you're crazy

 

[holyredeemer]

Byron Leftwich is top of the HC lists. Bucs had a very innovative offense last year taking down Brees, Rodgers, Mahomes and a lot of creativity on the way to become World Champions. This season blowing the roof off multiple offensive metrics. 34 points per game and #1 passing in the league. Byron Leftwich looks phenomenal as an offensive coordinator right now.

.

Brady has put a lot of OC’s at the top of HC lists.

 

[RIpats88]

I'll say it again if you think Mac Jones is the biggest problem with this team than you aren't watching the games. He's not even top 5. Defense is atrocious, can't run the ball, can't hold onto the ball, OL can't block. And coaching is being very conservative.

Has he been perfect? No but he's farther along than many other rookies have been. At this point in Josh Allen career he looked like a bust.

Guy already has a better statistical season in 6 games than cam Newton had all year.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Just to keep things in perspective, here are Brady's stats from his 6th game in 2001 vs Denver:

25 for 38, 2 TDS, 4 INTs, 203 yards, 58.1 rating

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos - October 28th, 2001 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

New England Patriots 20 at Denver Broncos 31 on October 28th, 2001 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[Drunken Cicerone]

Mac looks legit. It’s a small sample size but he makes good reads and has been pinpoint accurate despite having a jailbreak 3/4 of the time directly in his face.

I think he can be a winning QB. The lines of both side of the ball are awful. I wouldn’t mind seeing Harris and Stevenson running behind a strong line, and a WR1 to open the field a bit.

The offense looks to be improving, but the personnel isn’t there to get excited about

 

[Mack Herron]

OL has been garbage, RBs fumble machines, Smith and Agholor otherwise predisposed, and the play calling has been disappointing. But they are doing something right with Jones so we can be optimistic about the future.