Why this Patriots Hall of Famer believes Mac Jones is ‘ahead of the curve’
When it comes to NFL quarterbacks, New England Patriots Hall of Famer Vince Wilfork knows them well. When he wasn’t terrorizing opposing quarterbacks with his dominance along the defensive line, he was a teammate of that guy named Tom Brady for many years.
So, what does Big Vince think about the potential of Mac Jones?
In a recent interview with NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Giles, Wilfork is goes against the grain and reveals that he buys in on the Patriots second-year quarterback and his ability to breakout in the 2022 NFL season despite all the negative takes on a struggling offense heading into the season.
"“I think he should be ahead of the curve,” Wilfork said, as transcribed by WEEI. “I know Bill [Belichick] wants to do things to help him and protect him, but at some point, they’re going to have to take the handcuffs off of him and let him kind of flourish.”"
Now is the time for the New England Patriots to put all their trust in Mac Jones
With Josh McDaniels no longer holding the clip board on the sidelines, the New England Patriots may have no choice but to let Mac Jones run the show. With good playmakers around him, Belichick appears to be leaning towards exactly what Wilfork forecasts. The handcuffs will be taken off and it is up to the young captain to read defenses, make the right play and improvise when plays break down.
Is that too much to put on a young quarterback this early in his career?
If the Patriots want to know if Mac Jones is THE GUY, why not find out during a season where expectations are low? Why not find out if the kid can and will be a leader? Why not see if the Alabama product is up to the challenge?
Wilfork believes Jones is up to that challenge because he is “ahead of the curve” in terms of maturity and his recognition of the changes he needed to make to his body to be a better quarterback in Year 2.
"“Everything I’ve seen and know about him is, he works hard,” Wilfork continued. “He came to camp in good shape. He looked different, he looked mature, he looked bigger, he looked stronger. He’s demanding respect from his teammates. …He’s demanding everything a quarterback should demand from his team. Now it’s time for him and the team to play for each other.”"
The challenge starts down in Miami against a Dolphins team who will be seething at the teeth to get after Mac Jones and really put that New England Patriots offense to the test. With how the offense struggled through training camp and the preseason, Jones must find trust in his offensive line and the playmakers around him. He must show trust in the play calling of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge or whoever is calling plays.
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More importantly, Mac Jones must believe in himself and his ability to lead a team. He learned some valuable lessons during his rookie season, a season in which he did lead the Patriots to the playoffs. Now it is time to build off those mistakes and show the NFL that this team may not be the disaster many around the league think they are.
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The fact that a player like Vince Wilfork can see the diamond through all the trash is a positive to take into this 2022 NFL season. New England Patriots fans will take any positive they can get on a team with many question marks.