Two things can be true at once: Mac Jones is the best option to start at quarterback for the New England Patriots, and he absolutely must play better to prove it.
That task begins against the 5-2 New York Jets this weekend. But Jones isn't alone in needing to improve.
During a Friday press availability, de facto offensive coordinator Matt Patricia talked about the need for Jones to find the happy medium between being aggressive and taking what defenses give him as he returns to the field full-time.
"We actually had a long conversation about the three levels of throws and how defenses read those, some of the mannerisms of quarterbacks and what they look for," Patricia told reporters. "We had a conversation about how being balanced helps a quarterback give the defense different looks."
So far, that balance has escaped Jones, whose six interceptions and turnover-worthy play percentage rank fourth in the league despite him playing in just four games this season.
Then again, the Patriots have put him in less advantageous positions by calling fewer play-action passes than they did during his rookie season and frequently leaving him with less protection on pass plays than his understudy, Bailey Zappe, has gotten.
Though Patricia said the offensive play calls are based on the game plan for specific opponents, which is "universal" for all quarterbacks, rather than catering to individual quarterbacks, the opening script for Jones versus what Zappe got when he came into the game felt at odds with that (though there are many non-nefarious reasons for such differences).
The Patriots' play-caller also seemed to indicate he wants Jones to settle for more singles and doubles rather than pushing the ball down the field, suggesting the Patriots want to do that more selectively than they did in Jones' first three weeks.
"Certainly from a play standpoint, they're all designed with different intentions, and some of them have multiple levels of that go into each play," the coach said. "A lot of times, we're trying to take the profit in a situation where we can just take what's given to us, which is good. Sometimes we have to push it. The situation may dictate where we have to get the ball downfield or maybe we have a matchup that we like…maybe "Sauce" [Gardner] is in a particular area that we gotta be alert for. All that goes into effect."
With that in mind, scheming up more layups, like the pick plays Zappe hit twice to Rhamondre Stevenson out of the backfield, might help Jones accomplish that. So would more play-action off of the team's dedication to the run, which could open up more intermediate and deep throws down the field.
Interestingly, Patricia shouting out Gardner, the Jets' rookie sensation at cornerback, feels significant. Perhaps New England will try to avoid him or test him sparingly in favor of other matchups, which is something Jones could've done better earlier in the season in testing players like Xavien Howard and Minkah Fitzpatrick downfield.
Bottom line: Jones has to keep the ball out of harm's way, and Patricia can and should help him do that.
