New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones looks more uncertain now than he did last year at this point in training camp, according to NFL Network’s Mike Giardi.
A hot-topic Twitter conversation pointed to something being amiss with the second-year signal-caller, who is stepping into a new offensive situation after the departure of former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Giardi posted:
“Mac Jones had some moments of uncertainty a yr ago in training camp but not nearly as many as you would expect for a rook. This summer? Far more. Yes, it is early August. There’s time. However, the install started back in the spring & you’d like more comfort & success.”
After the initial tweet, Giardi clarified his comments by explaining he wasn’t laying all of the blame at Jones’ feet.
To clarify, this isn't all on Mac. Blocking has been poor (they haven't been able to run the ball a lick in camp) and last night, there were a number of times Mac had to hold because receivers weren't open. Not a wonderful combination… https://t.co/LDqnDIaaW8
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) August 6, 2022
The receiver situation for the Patriots still isn’t ideal for a young quarterback without a true No. 1 option.
Granted, they should be better than last season with the addition of a legitimate outside target like DeVante Parker, assuming he stays healthy. And the hope is that rookie Tyquan Thornton puts to bed all of the many draft blunders at the receiver position.
But those are a lot of questions for a team that hasn’t even played their first preseason game.
The biggest question mark, perhaps, is the offensive play-calling, which is being handled by former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. So that stability of a having a proven play-caller like McDaniels isn’t there for Jones, either.
The hope is that the floating pieces will come together at some point. Like Giardi pointed out, it’s still early in the process with time left to turn things around. But time is ticking.
