The Michael McCorkle "Mac" Jones Thread

Oct 12, 2023
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It’s insane. Literally the **entire league** passed on Zappe two months ago. He sucks. He shouldn’t be on the roster. He is because Bill has failed miserably to build an offense.
Zappe is terrible for sure but he knows the system which is a small point in his favor. What street free agents are there that would accept a backup job and not have to learn a whole new system on the fly? The quality of available QB’s is basically Zappe/Grier quality guys unless you’re advocating for Wentz or Foles (both of whom looked cooked in their last opportunities and not sure either would want to ride the pine for the Pats). Flacco is in the same boat except more cook

I guess there’s a chance a guy like McCoy or Perkins could give you a slight bump. Siemian was out there. Gabbert? EJ Perry? PJ Walker (before landing in Cleveland)? Jake Luton?

As awful as Zappe is, I can’t imagine any of the guys out there - absent a trade - would be much if any better.
 

8slim

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Zappe is terrible for sure but he knows the system which is a small point in his favor. What street free agents are there that would accept a backup job and not have to learn a whole new system on the fly? The quality of available QB’s is basically Zappe/Grier quality guys unless you’re advocating for Wentz or Foles (both of whom looked cooked in their last opportunities and not sure either would want to ride the pine for the Pats). Flacco is in the same boat except more cook

I guess there’s a chance a guy like McCoy or Perkins could give you a slight bump. Siemian was out there. Gabbert? EJ Perry? PJ Walker (before landing in Cleveland)? Jake Luton?

As awful as Zappe is, I can’t imagine any of the guys out there - absent a trade - would be much if any better.
I’m not advocating for a QB change. Just roll with Mac until the OL gets him injured.

*edit*. I’ve really enjoyed your posts today. Great stuff.
 

genoasalami

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Brady was even better than we thought. He was on plenty of flawed rosters and all he ever did was win. It's remarkable.
 

rodderick

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I don’t actually watch press conferences so I might be wrong. But has Mac done anything to make anyone think he’s actually a world class jackass? He’s not a good QB. He’s thrown some fits on the sideline, as literally every single player does and only gets called out when they’re struggling. He’s had “dirty plays”, of which at least the shit with sauce and the tackle on the fumble against the panthers(?) were clearly not very dirty. He’s clearly trying to talk confidently, would you rather he just admit defeat?

I’m completely done with him, he’s made Sundays significantly less fun for two straight years, but, unless there’s a real reason that I’m missing, why attack the guys character. It’s a huge theme around here to the point where I feel like I must have missed the story where he did something
Aside from the cheap shots you mentioned there was the DUI, the racist Halloween costume, the rolling his eyes at play calls and screaming at coaches on the sidelines, but other than that nothing comes to mind.
 

k-factory

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Of course Bill realizes Zappe is garbage. He wouldn’t have cut him if he didn’t.
It’s just that he realized too late. Corral was the desperate reach they went for instead and it didn’t work out.
Other than getting BillyO the offseason was a disaster due to unwarranted optimism.
Optimism that the QB situation was ok,
That the OT situation was workable
That they needn’t shell out for Hopkins because they had Parker,
That the offense was decent enough that they could use their first three draft picks on defense.
All these discoveries have come late rather than early which was a hallmark.
It really does suck for BB who has been a football savant to see his program have such a crushing fall from grace. Shit even his lady saw it coming and bailed.
 

azsoxpatsfan

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Aside from the cheap shots you mentioned there was the DUI, the racist Halloween costume, the rolling his eyes at play calls and screaming at coaches on the sidelines, but other than that nothing comes to mind.
The rolling his eyes and yelling at coaches is exclusively an issue because he is a struggling quarterback. Watch the sidelines in the game that’s happening right now and the same shit happens. I’m not trying to get into some moral argument, but even the DUI and costume are extremely extremely mild things by the standards of people we love and root for. Mac is a terrible NFL quarterback and the patriots need to figure out a plan to get a better one. I don’t get the desire to paint him as a terrible, annoying person based on very little
 

Auger34

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The rolling his eyes and yelling at coaches is exclusively an issue because he is a struggling quarterback. Watch the sidelines in the game that’s happening right now and the same shit happens. I’m not trying to get into some moral argument, but even the DUI and costume are extremely extremely mild things by the standards of people we love and root for. Mac is a terrible NFL quarterback and the patriots need to figure out a plan to get a better one. I don’t get the desire to paint him as a terrible, annoying person based on very little
I’m watching the game right now and I don’t see that at all.

Not all struggling quarterbacks behave the way Mac does…especially quarterbacks who have accomplished virtually nothing (like Mac).

My wording was probably too strong originally…but I have no idea how you could watch Mac’s antics on the field, the sidelines, read his quotes and act like it’s par for the course for any struggling QB of Mac’s stature.

At the very least, he comes across like a petulant baby with very little awareness. All of which are not qualities that you want in your starting QB.
 

rodderick

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The rolling his eyes and yelling at coaches is exclusively an issue because he is a struggling quarterback. Watch the sidelines in the game that’s happening right now and the same shit happens. I’m not trying to get into some moral argument, but even the DUI and costume are extremely extremely mild things by the standards of people we love and root for. Mac is a terrible NFL quarterback and the patriots need to figure out a plan to get a better one. I don’t get the desire to paint him as a terrible, annoying person based on very little
I think he's generally kind of a dick and is always not so subtly pushing his little narratives to the media whenever he can, which I have very little patience for considering he's a below average player in his best days. He's not an awful person or anything in a league full of criminals and actual bad guys, just find his whole vibe very entitled and unlikeable. Of course, if he were paying at a high level it wouldn't bother me in the slightest, just as I don't get any extra joy out of rooting for a good guy who sucks on the field.
 

Eck'sSneakyCheese

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The rolling his eyes and yelling at coaches is exclusively an issue because he is a struggling quarterback. Watch the sidelines in the game that’s happening right now and the same shit happens. I’m not trying to get into some moral argument, but even the DUI and costume are extremely extremely mild things by the standards of people we love and root for. Mac is a terrible NFL quarterback and the patriots need to figure out a plan to get a better one. I don’t get the desire to paint him as a terrible, annoying person based on very little
This comes across like a moral argument. There are much better and much worse people than Mac across the league. Mac is both a bad player and has an unlikeable personality. He has proven it over and over including the handful of things you mention. You’ve watched him behave with an overblown sense of entitlement and no maturity. This team is not behind him and it’s painfully obvious. I’m not sure what you’re trying to argue.
 

kartvelo

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View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1714037199954420052


When Mac Jones is your QB Mac Jones is your QB.

I do not get how people say receivers are not open - he just either doesnt see or cant make the throw...
Well, one of those three circled "open" receivers is flat on his face on the ground. Another was well covered and there was a safety lurking. Mac threw to the closest one - the one he could throw to quickly, probably because the pocket had already collapsed.

Mac might be terrible, but I don't see a "woof" in that particular example. Maybe he would have been better off throwing it away and not risking an interception on that short throw? I dunno.

Edit: Read further and found the color differentials. I'm red-green deficient, but I see it now that it's pointed out. Regardless, the green circle shows someone pretty well covered to me and a safety within reach. I guess of the three it might be considered the best risk/reward choice?

Edit 2: holy crap, the other circle's yellow. I've always had trouble reading things like color-coded graphs, charts, and maps.
 
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EvilEmpire

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Whether Mac Jones really is a world class jackass is mildly interesting.

Specific to football, I think his personality traits and lack of maturity make him a bad leader for a football team.

Edit: if Mac had Jay Cutler level talent the lack of leadership ability might matter less, but he doesn't.
 
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FL4WL3SS

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Whether Mac Jones really is a world class jackass is mildly interesting.

Specific to football, I think his personality traits and lack of maturity make him a bad leader for a football team.

Edit: if Mac had Jay Cutler level talent, the lack of leadership ability might matter less, but he doesn't.
I've been thinking about this the last few days. I know we rag on the receivers, and it's well deserved, but I'd be getting frustrated that my QB can't get me the ball too. I can't imagine they have any respect for anything Mac says to them at this point. When Brady yelled at his receivers they listened because they knew he was getting the ball where it needed to be, imagine Mac trying to give feedback to his receivers? They probably roll their eyes.
 

Cellar-Door

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Well, one of those three circled "open" receivers is flat on his face on the ground. Another was well covered and there was a safety lurking. Mac threw to the closest one - the one he could throw to quickly, probably because the pocket had already collapsed.

Mac might be terrible, but I don't see a "woof" in that particular example. Maybe he would have been better off throwing it away and not risking an interception on that short throw? I dunno.

Edit: Read further and found the color differentials. I'm red-green deficient, but I see it now that it's pointed out. Regardless, the green circle shows someone pretty well covered to me and a safety within reach. I guess of the three it might be considered the best risk/reward choice?

Edit 2: holy crap, the other circle's yellow. I've always had trouble reading things like color-coded graphs, charts, and maps.
If you're not willing and able to make that throw to the WR who is past the CB on the outside you can't play in the NFL consistently. Bourne has his guy beat, he even throws up the hand, the safety is not in position to take a good angle, but even then a decent throw that leads the WR is almost impossible to make a play on.

That play is drawn up to get that exact outcome ... either the inside man is open, or he gets passed to the safety... he got passed to the safety who stepped up (also, the WR trips on the DB so you can't throw it there), but when the safety gets the pass-off your next look is outside... and the play worked perfectly, Bourne got 1v1 on the corner and beat him.... Mac has to make that throw.
 

Auger34

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Whether Mac Jones really is a world class jackass is mildly interesting.

Specific to football, I think his personality traits and lack of maturity make him a bad leader for a football team.

Edit: if Mac had Jay Cutler level talent the lack of leadership ability might matter less, but he doesn't.
This captures what i was trying to say in my original post much better.

I think Mac is a jackass, and what makes it worse, is that those personality traits and immaturity are ESPECIALLY bad for a starting QB (even worse one who isn't an all world talent).

After the season he's had to say something like "I need to figure out how to bring these guys with me"..is really shocking in its stupidity. I can't imagine anyone on that offense wanting to go on the field and battle for him

EDIT: And to @rodderick's point, Mac does seem to be going to the media with a narrative of "hey guys, I am a really good QB, but look what I have around me! How could I possibly perform well!". That weird/awkward quote about "grocery shopping" seems like it might have been directly from Mac
 
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luckiestman

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Whether Mac Jones really is a world class jackass is mildly interesting.

Specific to football, I think his personality traits and lack of maturity make him a bad leader for a football team.

Edit: if Mac had Jay Cutler level talent the lack of leadership ability might matter less, but he doesn't.
To beat a dead horse:


https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/22/sports/football/22jets.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare


The quarterback has a vibe teammates want to rally around, Coles said. The receiver has a toughness teammates want to emulate, Pennington said.

Pennington lobbied for Coles’s return in 2005, after Coles left the Jets to spend two seasons with the Redskins. Coles wanted to come back, in large part because his friend would be throwing the football to him.

The reunion only deepened the bond between them. When Coles gets riled up, Pennington is one of the few people he allows to calm him. When Pennington walks into a room, Coles says people notice his presence.

Said the quarterback: “He’s a true football player, in every sense of the word. He’s not a prima donna or anything like that.”

Said the receiver: “He is the definition of a professional. His picture should be in the dictionary next to it. Nothing sways his determination.”
 

kartvelo

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If you're not willing and able to make that throw to the WR who is past the CB on the outside you can't play in the NFL consistently. Bourne has his guy beat, he even throws up the hand, the safety is not in position to take a good angle, but even then a decent throw that leads the WR is almost impossible to make a play on.

That play is drawn up to get that exact outcome ... either the inside man is open, or he gets passed to the safety... he got passed to the safety who stepped up (also, the WR trips on the DB so you can't throw it there), but when the safety gets the pass-off your next look is outside... and the play worked perfectly, Bourne got 1v1 on the corner and beat him.... Mac has to make that throw.
That's a great explanation, thanks!
I wonder if Mac is hesitant to make that throw, because he often seems (to me) to overthrow on long throws, as if he's not confident he can reach the receiver and overcompensates.
 

ManicCompression

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If you're not willing and able to make that throw to the WR who is past the CB on the outside you can't play in the NFL consistently. Bourne has his guy beat, he even throws up the hand, the safety is not in position to take a good angle, but even then a decent throw that leads the WR is almost impossible to make a play on.

That play is drawn up to get that exact outcome ... either the inside man is open, or he gets passed to the safety... he got passed to the safety who stepped up (also, the WR trips on the DB so you can't throw it there), but when the safety gets the pass-off your next look is outside... and the play worked perfectly, Bourne got 1v1 on the corner and beat him.... Mac has to make that throw.
This is my beef with Mac. People in these threads point out constantly how bad the supporting cast is. Okay, no argument there. But what does he do with the good opportunities that come his way? Not very much. There are guys getting open, like Bourne in this screen shot. There are guys getting separation underneath (JTO kept pointing out Parker being open on drags in the Cowboys games, but Mac held onto the ball too long and missed his spots). People made fun of Rhamondre being open on the safety to end the Raiders game - well, getting the ball in his hands to try to make a play is a fuckton better decision than taking a safety. He makes his supporting cast - receivers, o-line, all of it - look much worse because he's indecisive and can't make up for that indecisiveness with athletic traits.

What we see on Sundays from the side view limits us to the product of his decision-making, which naturally makes everyone else look as bad as they can look. When you pull further out and see all the shit he's missing, you start to understand why this offense is stuck in the mud, and a lot of it is on him.
 

Cellar-Door

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This is my beef with Mac. People in these threads point out constantly how bad the supporting cast is. Okay, no argument there. But what does he do with the good opportunities that come his way? Not very much. There are guys getting open, like Bourne in this screen shot. There are guys getting separation underneath (JTO kept pointing out Parker being open on drags in the Cowboys games, but Mac held onto the ball too long and missed his spots). People made fun of Rhamondre being open on the safety to end the Raiders game - well, getting the ball in his hands to try to make a play is a fuckton better decision than taking a safety. He makes his supporting cast - receivers, o-line, all of it - look much worse because he's indecisive and can't make up for that indecisiveness with athletic traits.

What we see on Sundays from the side view limits us to the product of his decision-making, which naturally makes everyone else look as bad as they can look. When you pull further out and see all the shit he's missing, you start to understand why this offense is stuck in the mud, and a lot of it is on him.
The thing with Mac is... he plays exactly like a good backup. That is... if everything goes right, no pressure, guys open, he hits his reads, he gets the basics done, won't wow you often, but when his mechanics and reads are right he can run the offense to 80-90% of a good QB. When things go wrong though... he falls apart. He takes pressure and suddenly he forgets everything good... his footwork falls apart, he bails on clean pockets, he stops making his reads in progression, he throws bad picks trying to "make something happen"... then he tries to avoid the bad picks by not taking throws he needs to make. He's a moderate ceiling and low floor player.
 

Deathofthebambino

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This is my beef with Mac. People in these threads point out constantly how bad the supporting cast is. Okay, no argument there. But what does he do with the good opportunities that come his way? Not very much. There are guys getting open, like Bourne in this screen shot. There are guys getting separation underneath (JTO kept pointing out Parker being open on drags in the Cowboys games, but Mac held onto the ball too long and missed his spots). People made fun of Rhamondre being open on the safety to end the Raiders game - well, getting the ball in his hands to try to make a play is a fuckton better decision than taking a safety. He makes his supporting cast - receivers, o-line, all of it - look much worse because he's indecisive and can't make up for that indecisiveness with athletic traits.

What we see on Sundays from the side view limits us to the product of his decision-making, which naturally makes everyone else look as bad as they can look. When you pull further out and see all the shit he's missing, you start to understand why this offense is stuck in the mud, and a lot of it is on him.
Or every now and again, he makes the right read, makes a great throw, and his receivers boot the fucking thing.

Or they fall over their own feet.

Or they run into each other.

Or they commit a penalty halfway down the field on a touchdown.

Or they stop their route on third and medium on what would be an easy first down.

Or they can't get their feet inbounds on a critical third and fourth down.

Nobody on this team, Mac included, should be looking anywhere but in their own fucking mirror as to why they suck.

At some point, everyone can't just point fingers at each other. How about just once in a while, everyone make a play for everyone else. That's how teams win games, not because every QB makes a perfect read and a perfect throw, not because every receiver gets open and/or makes a spectacular catch, not because every offensive line holds up on every play, but because you do enough of that shit as a group that you come out on top. There is no picking anyone else up on this team. One mistake, one penalty, one less than perfectly thrown ball, one receiver falling down and it all fucking crumbles like a house of cards.

Nobody ever steps up, including Mac.
 

chilidawg

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Sounds like Bourne is still on board (from a Patriots Nation facebook post)

I think Mac's doing great. His energy was great today, leading us. I'm just proud of that guy. He fights. He sits in there. Whatever the critics say, whatever people say about him, he just comes to work every single day.
 

Dogman

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I read that as he comes in and works everyday. Not that he is just coming in so he is there.

Regardless, whatever work he is putting in isn't nearly enough.
 

BaseballJones

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Or every now and again, he makes the right read, makes a great throw, and his receivers boot the fucking thing.

Or they fall over their own feet.

Or they run into each other.

Or they commit a penalty halfway down the field on a touchdown.

Or they stop their route on third and medium on what would be an easy first down.

Or they can't get their feet inbounds on a critical third and fourth down.

Nobody on this team, Mac included, should be looking anywhere but in their own fucking mirror as to why they suck.

At some point, everyone can't just point fingers at each other. How about just once in a while, everyone make a play for everyone else. That's how teams win games, not because every QB makes a perfect read and a perfect throw, not because every receiver gets open and/or makes a spectacular catch, not because every offensive line holds up on every play, but because you do enough of that shit as a group that you come out on top. There is no picking anyone else up on this team. One mistake, one penalty, one less than perfectly thrown ball, one receiver falling down and it all fucking crumbles like a house of cards.

Nobody ever steps up, including Mac.
This is a great - and sad - post. 100% on point.
 

Justthetippett

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Or every now and again, he makes the right read, makes a great throw, and his receivers boot the fucking thing.

Or they fall over their own feet.

Or they run into each other.

Or they commit a penalty halfway down the field on a touchdown.

Or they stop their route on third and medium on what would be an easy first down.

Or they can't get their feet inbounds on a critical third and fourth down.

Nobody on this team, Mac included, should be looking anywhere but in their own fucking mirror as to why they suck.

At some point, everyone can't just point fingers at each other. How about just once in a while, everyone make a play for everyone else. That's how teams win games, not because every QB makes a perfect read and a perfect throw, not because every receiver gets open and/or makes a spectacular catch, not because every offensive line holds up on every play, but because you do enough of that shit as a group that you come out on top. There is no picking anyone else up on this team. One mistake, one penalty, one less than perfectly thrown ball, one receiver falling down and it all fucking crumbles like a house of cards.

Nobody ever steps up, including Mac.
This is well put and has to be the most frustrating thing for Bill. For so long his teams have been greater than the sum of their parts. The "do your job" trope and all that is, in essence, the requirement that each member of the team performs their particular part at a high level. From there you build something. That is decidedly not the case this year.
 

BaseballJones

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I think another way to put this is: the whole is far less than sum of its parts.

Which is exactly the opposite of how successful teams work.
 

caesarbear

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The first 5 1/2 minutes of O'Sullivan's QB School are brutal on Mac. That play we all assumed DeVante Parker was just dogging it in the red zone was in fact quite the opposite. Mac doesn't know the playbook.
 

Marciano490

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All my fantasy QBs are hurt or on bye so I gotta start Mac this week and he’s projected for 13 points. I feel like random backups usually get slotted in for 17-18.
 

Madmartigan

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The first 5 1/2 minutes of O'Sullivan's QB School are brutal on Mac. That play we all assumed DeVante Parker was just dogging it in the red zone was in fact quite the opposite. Mac doesn't know the playbook.
The whole video is worth a watch. It’s a real indictment of both Mac and the coaching staff.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1580&v=3YqW6jI_G14&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&source_ve_path=MTM5MTE3LDIzODUx&feature=emb_title
 

lexrageorge

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Final play, the safety, shows how bad of a blocker Gesicki is. A lot of people blamed Mac for the safety, but he never had time thanks to Gesicki completely fanning on the block, then falling down afterwards to take away any chance of a check down play.

Of course, the reason the Pats were in that situation to begin with was the result of a lot of bad throws by Mac, and Parker being essentially useless in doing the one thing he is on the roster for. Parker not only let a ball fall through his hands, he ran a horrible route from the outset, a common occurrence with him. It really is the nearly entire squad on offense that is at fault.
 

8slim

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Final play, the safety, shows how bad of a blocker Gesicki is. A lot of people blamed Mac for the safety, but he never had time thanks to Gesicki completely fanning on the block, then falling down afterwards to take away any chance of a check down play.

Of course, the reason the Pats were in that situation to begin with was the result of a lot of bad throws by Mac, and Parker being essentially useless in doing the one thing he is on the roster for. Parker not only let a ball fall through his hands, he ran a horrible route from the outset, a common occurrence with him. It really is the nearly entire squad on offense that is at fault.
Yup. Anyone still dug in on either side of predominantly blaming Mac or predominantly blaming the talent is simply wrong. It’s both.

I think Mac could be a barely adequate QB if he was surrounded by all-world talent. But he’d still throw a few back-breakers every game.

Clearly in the absence of talent he can’t elevate anyone or anything.

What the Pats have offensively is a perfect storm of suck.
 

dirtynine

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Counterpoint: if the Pats can flip 4-5 brutal plays a game to neutral-to-excellent plays, they’ll be league average offensively and able to hang with most teams.

Note: I don’t exactly believe this, just offering a “glass 1/10th full” interpretation
 

Remagellan

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All my fantasy QBs are hurt or on bye so I gotta start Mac this week and he’s projected for 13 points. I feel like random backups usually get slotted in for 17-18.
I feel your pain. My starter Joe Burrow is on bye, and Mac was the only other QB on my roster in my 16 team league in which the available QB is very limited. So I picked up and am starting this week---Tyrod Taylor. Because I trust him more at the helm of the Giants offense against the Commanders than I do Mac with this Pats offense against an angry Bills team. With our league's scoring system, Mac is projected for 5 points; Tyrod is projected for 8.5. That 5 points projection would be a vast improvement since Mac is a cumulative minus-5 over the past three weeks (-3, -4, 2). But that would be a surprise to no one here.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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Counterpoint: if the Pats can flip 4-5 brutal plays a game to neutral-to-excellent plays, they’ll be league average offensively and able to hang with most teams.

Note: I don’t exactly believe this, just offering a “glass 1/10th full” interpretation
This is the issue.

Mac was back to his normal self last game and bounced back from the worst two game stretch we've seen.

He did this by getting back to what he always does - making one or two reads and just throwing it. The concern I had about Tua in college - throwing so often to his early reads - is exactly what Mac turned out to be.

Unfortunately, I don't think the "bad throws" are fixable. They're a product of his reliance on early reads. If he stops relying on throwing the ball to his early reads, he turns into what we saw the two previous games. Skittish, bailing pockets, sailing balls because of poor mechanics, happy feet, horrible chemistry with his receivers.

Going to your 3rd or 4th option isn't just about "he's open, throw it". It's understanding WHY the early reads aren't open (what is the defense doing) and knowing what should be open on the followup reads.

Mac can't do it. He's proven that with several years in the league. The reason for the perplexing interceptions isn't all that perplexing. He finds his 1st/2nd receiver that gets a certain amount of separation and throws it. Most of the time, that's OK. But the stars are going to align defensively on a handful of plays every game. It's why all his interceptions look the same. Either (A) there's a player lurking that Mac assumed wasn't there, or (B) he tried to force it into tight coverage on his early read.

And after several years of this, dozens of games with him doing the same thing, and watching him completely fail anytime he's tried to adjust...he is what he is. Unless you completely limit him like they did his first season (rightly so, apparently) he will have 2-5 throws a game that are drive ending, back breakingly bad. It just depends on if the defense capitalizes.
 
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heavyde050

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I mean not a bad showing from Mr. Jones today. I mean he wasn't spectacular, but he beat a decent Bills team and led a GW TD drive. He checked a couple of boxes today. Nothing to really change his probable future with the Pats, but he if plays like this for a couple of more weeks, it could be a different discussion.
 

tims4wins

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I mean not a bad showing from Mr. Jones today. I mean he wasn't spectacular, but he beat a decent Bills team and led a GW TD drive. He checked a couple of boxes today. Nothing to really change his probable future with the Pats, but he if plays like this for a couple of more weeks, it could be a different discussion.
Yeah that was rookie first 12 games Mac today.
 

Jinhocho

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Jul 31, 2001
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I have been very tough on Mac, but today he was pretty darn good relatively speaking. I believe that is the first time he has won a game when the other team scored over 24 and maybe his second GWD?

He was more accurate on a lot of his throws today and did less stupid things. I liked him leading receivers more and throwing some slants. All that has been there all year so not sure why it hasnt happened sooner.
 

heavyde050

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Nov 17, 2006
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I have been very tough on Mac, but today he was pretty darn good relatively speaking. I believe that is the first time he has won a game when the other team scored over 24 and maybe his second GWD?

He was more accurate on a lot of his throws today and did less stupid things. I liked him leading receivers more and throwing some slants. All that has been there all year so not sure why it hasnt happened sooner.
Yeah. That is one of my biggest takeaways. Like where was this game plan. Try to get it to Bourne and Pop in space and hit the TEs up the seam. Mixing in running and some PA.
 

Van Everyman

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Yeah that was rookie first 12 games Mac today.
Disagree a bit. He almost entirely threw safe passes that were sure things in 2021. Remember, all the handwringing was over Bill not letting him sling it. Plus, he really struggled with post-snap stuff.

Today wasn’t that – but it also wasn’t Mac trying to win with his arm or his competitiveness like he tried to last year either. Instead it was his best skill set: his decision-making. It helped that BOB had a great game plan but credit to Mac for managing what seemed to be a pretty complicated series of motions and rub routes.
 

Ed Hillel

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Dec 12, 2007
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This was his best game ever imo. I still have the same concerns about his pocket presence, but this time, in the final drive, his instincts kept him in the pocket and he made some bigtime throws under pressure. The audition rolls on.
 

Mystic Merlin

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Much better, though he had a few horrible turnover worthy plays (near pick in the late fourth and a sack fumble called back because of a marginal illegal contact penalty).
 

BaseballJones

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Oct 1, 2015
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Biggest, most important game of Mac Jones' NFL career.

I said earlier in the season that if/when Mac gets his first win like this and gets over that hump of (a) beating a really good team under "normal" (i.e., not crazy weather) circumstances, and (b) leading a comeback at the end of the game, that it'll flip a switch for him and we will see a new Mac Jones.

That was my hypothesis. Now it's going to be tested.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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Mac Jones in the first half helped the Pats to a 13-3 lead.

And then in the second half, here's what he did:

completion for 11
completion for 13
completion for -2
sack for -4
RESULT: FG good to answer Buffalo's score to open the half

completion for 26
completion for 5
completion for 19
completion for 4 (TD)
RESULT: Touchdown

incompletion
completion for 9, but Bourne fumbles, recovered by Buffalo
RESULT: Turnover

completion for 34
completion for -3
completion for 14 (on 3rd and 8)
completion for 8
completion for 10
incompletion
completion for 1 (TD)
RESULT: Touchdown, following a Bills' TD to win the game!

TOTAL: 14-16 (87.5%), 149 yds, 9.3 y/a, 2 td, 0 int, one sack for -4

That's pretty frigging tremendous.

And though he had a fumble (fortunately recovered by NE) on that -4 yard sack that was erased by a Buffalo penalty, he also had a 22 yard completion erased by an illegal man downfield penalty (that had no bearing on the play).
 

8slim

has trust issues
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Nov 6, 2001
24,962
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Mac had a good game. He still has some very obvious and notable issues. But it was a good game overall.

Hopefully he can string together a few of them in a row.