New England Patriots: Mac Jones success could shock the NFL

The New England Patriots drafting Mac Jones could shock the football world. Critics say that others drafted prior may be better, but Jones will still excel.

While many observers (including this one) would have liked a dual-threat quarterback, the fact remains that Jones is a terrific talent and may just fit the Patriots better than any other.

Let’s take a look at the facts of the matter, not the commentary and the blather of some NFL commentators who flail away but sometimes say nothing of consequence.

Most observers say that the San Francisco 49ers made the best pick taking Trey Lance at pick No. 3. OK, this observer would have liked to have seen that pick for New England, as well.

I liked Lance and Justin Fields and the thought of a dual-threat quarterback. A lot.

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But a trade-up for Lance was not happening and the Patriots’ interest in Fields may have just been one big smokescreen.

But, now, let’s look at what the New England Patriots actually got with their first-round pick at No. 15 in the draft.

Mac Jones a better fit for the New England Patriots?

The Patriots demonstrated in 2020 that they don’t know how to use a dual-threat, RPO quarterback. They had one of the all-time best in Cam Newton. They didn’t know how to use him.

In addition, it’s been written often here, they led Cam to the NFL slaughter with a porous offensive line and no weapons on offense. No one could get open, and the play-calling? Just awful.

That’s where Jones enters the picture. He is a drop-back, terribly accurate passer. The Patriots seem to have some experience with that type of quarterback. They know how to scheme for a relatively immobile, yet great passer. Had a bit of experience in that for two decades.

Is Jones an accurate passer? How’s a 77.4 percent completion percentage in the SEC last season against some of the best defenses in college football sound?

Impressive? Better than that, it’s other-worldly. Now you can hear the naysayers screaming about how Alabama had great receivers, and everything else, but no one in the history of college football (since 1956) ever had a higher completion percentage. Nobody.

They may get open (unlike New England’s receivers and that’s a real issue that has not been addressed), but you still have to get them the ball.

Jones does. Better than anyone else ever has in college, and he protects the ball.

His 41 touchdown passes and only four interceptions testify to that fact. He’s not just slinging haphazardly all over the yard, he throws it to have it caught. Good thing, as Cam saw last season, no one was open most of the time.

Hopefully, the addition of two good wide receivers and two very good tight ends will help with that immensely. They should. It can’t get much worse, that’s for certain.

Add new big back Rhamondre Stevenson to Damien Harris, James White, Sony Michel, and J.J. Taylor, and you may just have something there.

White should be a nice target for both Cam and Jones. And how about a New Orleans Drew Brees/Taysom Hill-type combo with Cam and Jones both on the field as an interesting option?

Cam is the presumptive starter at quarterback. Period. Let’s get that straight. It’s half-baked to think otherwise.

Yet, this team has to use all of the offensive weapons available to it and that combination might just be transcendent.

And keep in mind, Cam Newton can do anything on a football field, and would, to just win. Add his superman athleticism, versatility, and solid passing accuracy to Jones’s prodigious accuracy, and you’ve got double trouble for any defense.

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What a combination that could be. But is New England’s coaching staff astute enough to employ it? Good question. We’ll see. But Mac Jones may be on the field a bit this season if they are.

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