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So much for some Patriots quarterback brotherhood!
Former New England quarterback and NBC Sports Boston analyst Matt Cassel had a front-row seat to Mac Jones' struggles last season, and the journeyman quarterbacks thinks the third-year Pats passer has a long way to go to reach the upper echelon of the league.
In his "way-too-early" quarterback rankings for 2023, Cassel slotted Jones 25th overall, putting him in the realm of Deshaun Watson, who had a brutal return to the Browns last year, and spot-starter Jacoby Brissett.
"There were a lot of ups and downs for Mac Jones this past season. I’m still unsure of what type of quarterback he can be. But we will certainly find out with new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien returning to the New England Patriots this season," Cassel said in his write-up.
As much as it might sting, Cassel's assessment is pretty much in line with advanced metrics like Pro Football Focus grades (28th in passing grade, 31st overall), EPA + CPOE composite (28th) and QBR (28th), which matter more than volume stats in a year where Jones missed several games.
Not all of this is Jones' fault, of course, as we all know the combination of coaching dysfunction and mediocre weaponry he had to deal with in his second season. But he also couldn't elevate the situation with his own play while other second-year quarterbacks showed more flashes with similar or less talent. With O'Brien back in the fold and Year 3 approaching, Jones has to step up his game or risk losing his job after this year.
After all, the questions are already swirling about the possibility of trading Jones, which won't happen because the Patriots probably wouldn't get a first-round pick for him, and whether the team sees much of a difference between Jones and Zappe, which is hilarious given how differently New England operated when each was under center.
(That latter part is especially rich considering the Patriots thought Matt Patricia and Joe Judge could run their offense just fine last season and then dinged Jones, who had to unlearn a real offense to operate that junk, for not taking to it as quickly as Zappe, who didn't know anything else but that offense in the NFL.)
Even sadder: Jones ranks well behind Trevor Lawrence (seventh) and Justin Fields (13th) on Cassel's board after outplaying both in their respective rookie seasons. If it makes you feel better, though, Trey Lance (barely played) and Zach Wilson ("LOL" bad) aren't even on the list.
But as Cassel hinted, perhaps a change in coach, the addition of new offensive weapons and the rediscovery of others (*stares in Kendrick Bourne*) can move Jones back in the right direction in 2023.
