NFL analyst Tony Romo sees progress being made by Mac Jones, despite his rough start to the season.
Jones threw for 200 yards and an interception in Sunday’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. His 75.3 quarterback rating was his highest since September 24 against the New York Jets. He recorded an 85.6 rating in that game.
Jones has struggled making accurate throws and reads this season. His lone interception on Sunday came after he tried to make a play on the run. The ball sailed over the arms of tight end Hunter Henry and gave the Las Vegas offense another opportunity to score.
Even with the recent struggles, Romo still sees positives in Jones’ game, but he also noted that the third-year quarterback has to take better care of the football.
“Mac Jones is better than what is being talked about or being shown,” Romo said, via NFL on CBS. “Sometimes, the tape shows that he’s not playing well at times. I think the reason why he hasn’t been replaced is because I think he’s actually helping them have a chance to win more often than the opposite.
“The last two weeks were terrible. But when you look at it, these games come down to turnovers. The turnover that he had today was not okay. That is an indiscriminate throw with a guy wide open. You can look back and say those are points. At the end of it, you end up losing by just a little bit. That could be the difference in the game.”
The New England quarterback room is in flux right now. Quarterback Malik Cunningham did see a snap under center on Sunday, but he was sacked on the play.
Cunningham was added to the 53-man roster, although coach Bill Belichick did not specify exactly what his role on the team would be. Regardless, Jones is still the starter for now, and he will need to play at a higher level for New England to turn their season around.
