Replacing Tom Brady may have been one of the biggest challenges Bill Belichick had to face in his successful NFL career. However, it didn’t take long for him to find a satisfying replacement with a lot of potential, as the New England Patriots rookie Mac Jones has immediately adapted to life in Foxborough.
Against all odds, thePatriots look likeone of the toughest teams in the 2021 season as they hold seven straight victories under their belts while they lead the AFC with an impressive 9-4 record.
Belichick is onceagain proving why he should never be counted out, something he especially did inWeek 13 when the Patriots emerged victorious in their Monday Night Football showdown against the Buffalo Bills. Things seem to be going perfectly for New England, yet Mac Jones considers there’sroom for improvement.
Patriots QB Mac Jones says he’ll work to reduce turnovers
It’s safe to say Mac Jones is the heavy candidate to winthe Offensive Rookie of the Year award, as he’s been the most consistent player of his class. The Patriots are protecting him as much as possible in his rookie season, something that reminded Hall of Famer Peyton Manning of his first year with the Indianapolis Colts.
That being said, it’s also true that Jones hasn’t been carrying the team on his own. That was made abundantly clear last time out, when he only completed two out of three passesfor 19 yards as the Patriots only needed to run and defend to beat Buffalo. But Jones has still made an improvement in his last few games byreducing his turnovers.
“I think just playing within the offense, understanding how to win games, what teams do bad, and exposing that,” Jones said when he addressed the media on Wednesday, per USA Today’s Patriots Wire.“I’ve obviously been taught my whole football life that when you don’t turn the ball over, good things happen. The more you can do that, the more you can play within your offensive scheme, the better. I can continue to do a good job there.
“We’ve just been doing a better job with it. Everyone has. The fumbles and interceptions were my fault for the most part, obviously, because you can’t throw it to the other team. It’s an area to improve on, but you also can’t be gun-shy or anything like that. You’ve just got to go out there and try to throw it to the right guy.”
Well, if the Patriots repeat last Monday’s formula, then Jones wouldn’t have to worry that much about getting picked. But of course,not every game will be played in such frigidtemperaturesand he’ll needto deliver accurate passes anyway. It’s not something he hasfailed to do so far, andthe more he develops that potential, the better.