Be better.
That’s been one of Mac Jones’ favorite responses when answering questions about himself, his offense or his team over his first year-plus as the centerpiece of the Patriots organization.
And let’s be clear, it is still very much his offense and very much his team, even if both indeed need to be better.
He’s repeated it early and often in his young career.
He said it as a standout rookie. He’s said it through the struggles of his sophomore season.
He’s said it after wins. He’s said it following ugly losses.
Now, as New England enjoys the weekend off during its bye week, Jones has time to collect his thoughts heading into the second half of the 2022 season with plenty of play for and plenty on the line for both he and his team.
Forget about the fact that Matt Patricia has predictably and understandably seemed over his head as the lead offensive coach and play-caller for the Jones’ led crew.
Forget that the offensive line has been an inconsistent mess with too many different starting lineups, too many penalties, too many pressures allowed and too many damn mistakes.
Forget about the fact that pretty much every member of the New England offense not name Rhamondre Stevenson and Jakobi Meyers has underachieved through nine games.
Forget that the struggling Patriots’ offense currently sits at 26th in the NFL based on yards.
Forget that the unit is 29th in red zone efficiency.
Forget that New England is tied for worst in the NFL with 17 giveaways, a number inflated by the fact that Jones has seven interceptions despite missing three-plus games to an ankle injury.
Forget that Zappe Fever ever spread through Patriot Nation or that the so-called Foxborough Faithful booed their supposed franchise QB and future off the Gillette Stadium field less than a month ago.
None of that matters now.
While the “be better” mantra remains in Jones’ verbal cut-and-paste press conference answer clipboard, lately the quarterback has pushed back against criticism by noting what he’s called “false reality.”
Wondering about his field vision, a supposed strength of the former Alabama star? All-22 images and film showing wide open receivers elsewhere on the field while Jones stares down a covered target?
That’s “false reality.” A misleading moment in time taken out of the necessary context.
Looking at statistics that don’t really show the Patriots offense getting any better? Numbers that rightfully put it near the bottom of the league in so many rankings?
“A lot of times there’s some false realities there” according to Jones, results that may not be indicative of the process or predictive of future outcomes.
That’s debatable of course for a unit that’s seemingly been mired in the same struggles since the first week of training camp, but what isn’t up for argument is what the Patriots need to do over the second half of the season. Whether it’s with an eye on a team that currently sits a half-game out of the playoff picture making the postseason or simply injecting developmental life into what currently is a lackluster offense, the oh-so-simple harsh reality for Jones and his Patriots playmakers right now is that they truly do just need to be better.
No one wants to hear the excuses, which we all know are simply explanations given by losers, or at least bandied about by those falling short of expectations.
False realities aside, the harsh reality is that quarterbacks in the NFL get too much blame when things don’t go well. Jones is living that right now. Heck, GOATS and BOATS alike Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are experiencing it these days too.
Almost regardless of the details around them, when a team doesn’t win or an offense doesn’t do its job the blame falls squarely on the quarterback.
That is Jones’ reality right now and he knows it.
“Obviously as an offense, we want to score more points, no more turnovers and all that. We can control those things and if we can control it, then we need to take control of it,” Jones said during the bye week. “That’s one of the big things. There’s things that are out of your control and there’s things that you’re in control of. So just trying to focus on those things.”
In other words, Jones realizes he needs to be better because, to steal another one of his favorite phrases as the captain and the leader of the New England offense – it starts with him.
Regardless of almost every else going on – and going wrong – around him, if the Patriots offense is going to be better over the final eight games of the year then Jones needs to be better.
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