Mac's Future
- Thread starter TomRicardo
- Start date
It’s not like this is the first time in history a coach hasn’t named a starter before kickoff.
This is Bill being Bill. No one needs to know, including the team, until he’s thinks they need to know.
I think this is right. Who will start is about the most interesting part of this week's game so thanks to BB for giving some meaning to a nearly meaningless game.
Funny, I was thinking they haven't announced a starting QB because they don't plan to use one.
No point in playing Zappe since it sure looks like he won't be on the team next year either.
No QB would better reflect the Pats' NFL talent at that position than one (let alone two!).
On the way home from the in-laws saw an election-style sign in a yard in Goshen, MA: "Bench Mac Jones".
Welp, guess he wasn't all that. FML. Run Mac into the ground I guess.
When do pitchers and catchers report?
It's going to to be Mac, as bad as he has been he's the best QB on the roster, letting him dangle a bit this week is probably Bill trying to see if it works as motivation for a guy who has been a bit of a silver platter guy. No real downside, the team is bad, not knowing which QB will start won't make much difference internally and the idea of making Mac "earn it" probably helps the lockerroom. Plus maybe it lights a fire under Mac (I doubt it) and he starts playing with more focus.
Are there any league requirements to announce a starter? With the league and every team in bed with every casino/betting app there is, it's very bad for (gambling) business to not announce who the QB is. I know for THIS game is doesn't matter because they both suck and probably won't move the lines one way or another but next time and next team it may
No? The league can’t compel a team to play certain players.
How would that even work? ‘Hey, Bengals, you must start and play an announced QB unless he gets hurt or looks pretty bad.’ That’s not gonna hunt. The most the league can do is enforce injury reporting rules; otherwise, whoever is on the 53-man roster can conceivably be active and play.
And while we are on the topic, if the betting community isn’t pricing that uncertainty into their betting, then that’s on them.
Andrew Callahan in the Herald claims that Mac is starting.
Report: Patriots planning to keep Mac Jones as QB1 vs. Giants
https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/2776097
Report: Patriots planning to keep Mac Jones as QB1 vs. Giants
https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/2776097
I mean, they know how those guys are practicing. What, did they think Zappe would outperform Mac in practice this specific week after failing to do so all year? If practice is deciding who plays, just keep Mac on the field and own it. He's your starter because you value practice performance above all else in order to decide who plays, but if he does a dumb-dumb on the field he has to be taken out it order to understand what a bad boy he's been? It's high school stuff.
The league’s media availability rules require teams to produce a depth chart and update it weekly.
https://www.profootballwriters.org/nfl-media-access-policy/
But there is a lot of leeway granted to teams on who they actually start at game time. The Pats are not in any danger of running afoul of league rules here.
Beat me to it. With Cunningham they could have done some innovative sets. Not that they would be good, but they’d be different
No one every really thought he was all that. He's 28 and hasn't thrown an NFL pass since 2019 for a reason.
At what point does he become a sympathetic or maybe just a pathetic figure? It’s become painful to watch. I want him to succeed, but no longer think it’s possible. Change of scenery can’t come soon enough.
Bill trolling the media and being unconventional in how he approaches certain things works great when the baseline is an AFC Title game every year. When you are the worst or second worse team in the league and the whole operation is in disarray it just looks ridiculous.
I’m sure he has reasons why he is doing this that make sense to him as a coach. But, assuming he’s actually trying to win these games (and I believe he is, I don’t think Bill has it in him to do anything other than try to win the next game), it is just another data point that at least to me leaves me wondering if he can still do it. He doesn’t owe fans or media explanations about his methods, but the results on the field are pretty terrible right now and stuff like this doesn’t give me confidence that he can turn the ship around.
I’m sure he has reasons why he is doing this that make sense to him as a coach. But, assuming he’s actually trying to win these games (and I believe he is, I don’t think Bill has it in him to do anything other than try to win the next game), it is just another data point that at least to me leaves me wondering if he can still do it. He doesn’t owe fans or media explanations about his methods, but the results on the field are pretty terrible right now and stuff like this doesn’t give me confidence that he can turn the ship around.
I think he won't be either, to me the vast majority of the fanbase has already made their peace with the fact this team will need a new QB and doesn't really care that much about how Mac Jones will look for the rest of the season, aside from the very vocal, but minor, defense force that still believes he's a competent player who was sabotaged and ruined by the most disfuncional organization in the sport or whatever it is they're saying these days.
The only motivation I can understand for this circus this week would be if BB felt like he needed to prove to the team that Mac was the best choice for this week. That is, if there were folks on the team who believe that Zappe would be a better choice, and if during practice this week Mac clearly outplayed Zappe in practice, and everyone saw that, it would provide an opportunity for the team to rally around Jones as the team's best chance to win. It's a risky strategy, just in the sense if Jones didn't clearly outplay Zappe - then it would be all for nothing, really. Because, having Jones get less reps with the first team offense doesn't put him in the best position to win this week.
Pitcher and catchers will report long before Bs or Cs play any meaningful games.
I’ll defend Zappe a bit./cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23265504/Spider_Man_meme.jpg)
At least he’s making that throw off the bench and has started only 2 NFL games. He’s getting a lot of work in practice and must look terrible but the whole situation is miserable.
A full reboot in the offseason is the only option. Top 3 pick or not, that has to be the plan.
Zappe is a fringe back-up and Mac has gone full Ankiel, as you said.
So. The key question - who is the starter - remains unanswered. But honestly at this point, does it matter?
Also worthwhile just to get some of the stink off the team and have a fresh start. He's not going to contribute to any kind of winning situation here, so just cut the tie.
As much as it may be tempting to blame the coaching, it may be that Mac is simply not cut out to be a QB in this league, no matter the coaching or supporting cast. Tommy Hodson was bad as well.
Hey, he actually kind of got in the way on the interception return today without committing a PF.
This is it. He sucks. He's always sucked, and the league discovered this by the bye week of his first year in the league. Since then he's been absolutely awful.
It's not coaching. It's not scheme. It's not the OL and it's not the OC. It's Mac. He cannot play.
Looking back at the 2020 Alabama National Championship Team ~ and looking at Mac's numbers~ I don't see how anyone could have anticipated such a bust. Mac's stats were off the charts. His recruiting/CFL honors/performance/pre-draft rankings stayed consistent. He led the #2 Offense (Kent State was #1) in the NCAA. By all accounts he should have been, at worst, an adequate NFL signal caller/game manager. BB has a tight professional and personal relationship with Nick Saban. There is no way that BB didn't perform due diligence on the Mac pick. So what the heck happened?
Perhaps Mac's flaws were hidden really well by that LOADED 'Bama team that included Heisman Trophy Winner DeVonta Smith, stud skill-player options and a very experienced and capable OL. He didn't have to use his legs to extend plays or compensate for other offensive weaknesses. Mac was really fortunate to be in the right system at the right time that allowed him to look great for 13 weeks.
My concern now is that he never faced adversity (that I recall) and never played on a garbage team with no weapons to lean on (which may have exposed his suck earlier). He looks completely lost and doesn't have the luxury of rebounding against an Ole Miss, Arkansas or Kentucky doormat. NFL defenses are different animals. But still, you cannot cut him.
I'm really looking forward to the pre-draft festivities.
LT Alex Leatherwood~ Drafted 17th overall
LG -- Deonte Brown ~ Drafted 193 overall
C -- Landon Dickerson~ Drafted 37th overall
RG -- Emil Ekiyor~ Undrafted, picked up by Indy (practice squad)
RT -- Evan Neal~ Drafted 7th overall, NFL Starter
TE -- Miller Forristall~ Undrafted (suffered from injury bug), still picked up by numerous NFL teams
RB -- Najee Harris~ Drafted 24th overall
RB2- Brian Robinson~ Drafted 98th overall
WR (Z) -- John Metchie~ Drafted 44th overall
WR (X) -- DeVonta Smith~ Drafted 10th overall
WR (H) -- Jaylen Waddle~ Drafted 6th overall
LG -- Deonte Brown ~ Drafted 193 overall
C -- Landon Dickerson~ Drafted 37th overall
RG -- Emil Ekiyor~ Undrafted, picked up by Indy (practice squad)
RT -- Evan Neal~ Drafted 7th overall, NFL Starter
TE -- Miller Forristall~ Undrafted (suffered from injury bug), still picked up by numerous NFL teams
RB -- Najee Harris~ Drafted 24th overall
RB2- Brian Robinson~ Drafted 98th overall
WR (Z) -- John Metchie~ Drafted 44th overall
WR (X) -- DeVonta Smith~ Drafted 10th overall
WR (H) -- Jaylen Waddle~ Drafted 6th overall
Perhaps Mac's flaws were hidden really well by that LOADED 'Bama team that included Heisman Trophy Winner DeVonta Smith, stud skill-player options and a very experienced and capable OL. He didn't have to use his legs to extend plays or compensate for other offensive weaknesses. Mac was really fortunate to be in the right system at the right time that allowed him to look great for 13 weeks.
My concern now is that he never faced adversity (that I recall) and never played on a garbage team with no weapons to lean on (which may have exposed his suck earlier). He looks completely lost and doesn't have the luxury of rebounding against an Ole Miss, Arkansas or Kentucky doormat. NFL defenses are different animals. But still, you cannot cut him.
I'm really looking forward to the pre-draft festivities.
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Mac is very clearly a massive frontrunner. Once he faced adversity in the NFL he turtled like crazy and lost it mentally. I hate using character flaws to blame players for poor play, and Mac clearly doesn't have the necessary physical skills either, but he's mentally softer than puppy shit.
At least his tackling after INTs has improved.
At least his tackling after INTs has improved.