New England Patriots: Why Mac Jones should start Week 6 vs Browns
The New England Patriots are heading into a critical Week 6 matchup with the Cleveland Browns.
After an impressive home win against the Lions, the Patriots currently sit at 2-3. While the Patriots are getting ready for the Browns this week, fans everywhere are wondering who will be the quarterback under center.
Will Mac Jones make his return? Could Bailey Zappe see his second career start in the NFL?
Personally, if the ankle is good enough to go, I think Mac Jones should be under center this weekend in Cleveland and here are a few reasons as to why.
Mac Jones IQ is an advantage for the New England Patriots
Listen, let’s not pretend that having a smart quarterback is a bad thing. The thing that Mac Jones has that has always been an asset to him is his intelligence.
Think about it, last year he had to run a Josh McDaniels led system, as a rookie. That got the Patriots to a 10-7 record. This year, he had to learn yet another new offense in the Matt Patricia/Joe Judge era.
The results may not have been there for the first three games, but we saw Mac making adjustments at the line of scrimmage. Believe me fans, this is a VERY good sign.
Bailey Zappe is still learning the offense and the playbook had to be simple for his first NFL start against the Lions. People may forget that Zappe is still a rookie and just getting used to the NFL. It’ll take time for him to truly embrace the whole Patriots’ offense.
Mac Jones is flat out better than Bailey Zappe for the New England Patriots
The big picture to take away is that Mac Jones is flat out better than Bailey Zappe at this point in time.
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We’re not taking anything away from Bailey Zappe’s game against the Lions. He played well, completed the passes he needed to make, and only turned the ball over once. And that turnover wasn’t even his fault!
But Mac Jones is the guy for the Patriots going forward. Like it was mentioned above, his IQ is a big factor of his future progress. His accurate arm is a good sign. The speed and overall quickness looked like it improved over the off-season.
There’s a reason the Patriots took Jones at 15 in the 2021 draft. This isn’t a Brady-Bledsoe round two situation. Get Mac back in there if he is truly 100 percent healthy.
The bottom line with the New England Patriots Sunday
The Patriots should be starting Mac Jones on Sunday if the ankle is really good to go. With the Browns, they have their pass rush with Myles Garrett on one side and Jadeveon Clowney on the other side. Hopefully, the ankle will be good enough to move around in the pocket, should he play.
Next. Matthew Judon sacking his way into franchise history. dark
The New England Patriots have a better chance to win on the road Sunday with Mac Jones, rather than Bailey Zappe. Can they win with Zappe Sunday? Yes. But do they have a better chance with Jones? Also yes.
Do the right thing. If his ankle is healthy, play Mac. Plain and simple.