Mac Jones was putting the finishing touches on what had to be one of the most inconsistent days a quarterback can have. He was at times awesome and awful during the Patriots 37-26 Week 3 loss to the Ravens, making some plays with his feet and dropping downfield dimes to DeVante Parker while also misreading coverages and throwing three picks (and narrowly avoiding a fourth).
The final came in garbage time when he overshot Kendrick Bourne across the middle, but the blemish on the stat sheet was the least of his worries. Jones was hit just after throwing the ball, and Baltimore's Calais Campbell came down hard on him, causing his left ankle to buckle underneath him.
Multiple reports indicate he suffered a significant high ankle sprain. If true he won't likely be playing for at least a few weeks, and while that's a crushing blow for a second-year quarterback who needs the developmental time, it might not be the worst thing for him long term.
Jones has been embroiled in the controversy surrounding Bill Belichick's decision to use Matt Patricia and Joe Judge as his top offensive coaches despite their lack of experience on that side of the ball. Jones spent the entire summer answering questions about them instead of speaking about himself and his teammates.
There were times when Jones seemed frustrated with the entire experience, and although he handled his off-field responsibilities well for the most part, it placed an unfair burden on his shoulders that has carried into the season. Jones hasn't often looked like the poised, smart decision-maker we saw for much of his rookie season, and his five picks through three weeks is an indication of that. In truth, he could have at least that many more if not for some good fortune with potential picks in each game dropped by opposing defenders.
From an admittedly outside perspective, Jones has all the earmarks of a quarterback who is trying to do too much. Whether it's a lack of familiarity with the changes in the system, a lack of belief in the plan of attack or opposing defenses learning how to best defend him, Jones is pressing.
Through 21 games as a starter (including playoffs), Jones is now 11-10 with 26 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Last season he didn't throw his fifth pick until Week 5. Now he's leading the league and averages nearly one per game over his short career.
This was not how it was supposed to be for Jones, who was considered to be NFL-ready when it came to decision-making and avoiding turnovers. Again, he looks like a quarterback trying to put it all on his shoulders and it's leading to poor decisions like the one he made in the fourth quarter when he floated one to Marlon Humphrey in the back corner of the end zone.
Trailing 31-26 midway through the final quarter, Parker ran a corner route but was intercepted effectively by Humphrey. The Ravens corner easily made the pick as Jones delivered the ball off his back foot while dealing with a safety blitz off the front side. Jones may have been trying to throw it away and simply underthrew it, but he was pretty hot on the sideline after and seemed to upset with some element of the play.
The route?
The decision?
Probably a little bit of everything, but that was precisely the kind of throw he was supposed to be great at avoiding. A field goal would have been valuable points with nine minutes still to go. The prior play was a draw to Damien Harris on second-and-goal from the 14, so it would be understandable if that choice still had him hot and bothered as well.
Still, no excuse for being so careless with the ball, and ultimately those turnovers were the main reason for defeat. The same was true in the opener in Miami.
So, now Jones faces some time off, and it might be exactly what he needs to settle down mentally and regroup. Sometimes young quarterbacks learn plenty from watching on the sidelines, and Brian Hoyer might be able to avoid some of those turnovers that have derailed the offense thus far.
Calling the injury a blessing in disguise may be going a bit too far, but given his current mental state some time off could be the perfect remedy for him to fix the mistakes.
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September 27, 2022 at 11:31PM
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NFL Notes: Mac Jones could benefit from some time off - Patriots.com
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