Mac Jones Is Our QB1

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This may be a little premature but it's PFF's call not mine.

Those of us who beat the drums for Mac Jones pre-draft are to be congratulated for seeing through the arguments against him. The talent and coaching at Bama made it tough but Mac made the throws on his own. I'm pretty sure we got this right and today PFF is in full agreement.

Man, that didn't take long!

I'm loving that both Cam and Mac are playing as well as could have been imagined and are also competing/playing so well together. How does BB keep either QB out of games the way they are playing?
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by Sam Monson of PFF (yeah, the same guy who claimed TFB was done back in 2014 or whenever it was)

"Much of the pre-draft scouting process was focused on what Jones couldn’t do. Very little time was spent analyzing what he actually excelled at, which is a shame because his final campaign at Alabama last year was one of the finest college seasons ever seen.

Jones posted an overall 95.8 PFF grade in 2020 on his way to winning a national title. That overall mark is higher than any single season grade from any of the past three No. 1 overall draft picks (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow) in their college careers.


QuarterbackBest PFF GradeHighest Adj. Comp. %
Mac Jones95.884.2%
Joe Burrow94.981.9%
Kyler Murray94.678.9%
Baker Mayfield94.580.6%

It’s the highest single-season overall grade PFF has ever given to a college quarterback, and that would be a pretty good starting point to talk up a player’s potential at the next level in any normal year. In a draft where Jones was being directly compared to near-flawless prospects like Trevor Lawrence, or players whose athleticism and physical tools are off the charts, the focus instead shifted to where he was deficient.

Jones is just an average athlete compared to the rest of the 2021 first-round quarterbacks, and that athleticism paired with his underwhelming physique became the focus. The idea of his mental traits and accuracy potentially offsetting those negatives became an afterthought. Back in April, I argued that they do, and the first glimpses of Jones in the NFL backs that up.

Through two preseason games, Jones has already shown that his mental traits and accuracy still play at this level. Obviously, preseason is a step down from the regular season, but it’s all there is to judge at this point. Jones currently has a 92.4 overall PFF grade, the second-best mark of any quarterback, although most of the Week 2 games are still to come. His adjusted completion rate is 80.6%, showing that his accuracy remains potent after a stellar Alabama career.


power-5-cpoe-epa.png


So far, only Jacob Eason has thrown a lower rate of uncatchable passes than Jones this preseason, and Jones has yet to make a turnover-worthy play. A glance at the box score would show he also has yet to register a passing touchdown, but that would belie some of the best throws he has made, many of which have come up incomplete. In Jones’ debut against the Washington Football Team, his best throw beat a defender and landed in the hands of his intended receiver in the end zone, only to fall incomplete. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, he hit a bomb down the sideline to N’Keal Harry, yet the third-year wideout failed to complete the diving catch.

The Patriots have also put Jones in challenging situations, presumably to see if his demeanor remains calm and cool as pressure mounts. Jones has run drives in the hurry-up offense and from backed up in his own end zone. In each situation, he has responded and looked as in-command of the offense as at any other time.

This week, Newton actually put together an impressive performance himself, at least fighting back against what seems a growing weight of evidence that Jones can start right away. Newton earned an 87.4 overall PFF grade and delivered some strikes, certainly aided by the strength of competition (or lack thereof) the Eagles provided. Newton had all day to survey the defense and find an open receiver, averaging over 3.0 seconds per attempt, but unlike the first preseason game, his stock will have come out of this game enhanced, effectively setting the bar Jones needs to clear just a little bit higher.

From the Patriots’ perspective, Jones was drafted in the first round, which means he is the future at the position. The only thing that is unclear is when that future begins.

Rookie quarterbacks typically struggle the most with the mental adjustment to the next level. Only one first-year signal-caller over the past two seasons has averaged a time to throw below 2.6 seconds, a figure 16 veterans have been quicker than. The extra challenge that the NFL provides slows down their processing speed, and since that was Jones’ trump card in college, it stood to reason that a player with his style might struggle the most with the adjustment.

But Jones’ play thus far indicates that is not going to be the case. His average time to throw this preseason is 2.67 seconds, which is almost three-tenths faster than any other Patriots quarterback. The strengths that gave Jones an edge in college remain advantages to his game at the NFL level. If he is capable of running this offense as a rookie and delivering passes as accurately as he has been, it will take Newton’s best play since his MVP season (back in 2015) to keep Jones on the bench and away from the starting job.

Mac Jones looks ready to start for the Patriots right now."

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Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones is PFF's second-highest graded QB. Cam Newton is the 6th (of 40 qualified QBs).
Last year we had 0 good QBs. Now we have 2. Thank you, BB!
 
I love how quickly you said it is not me but them who have said it. LOL

I like them both for different and same reasons. I think both can help us.

Will watch the space to see what BB does.
 
I love how quickly you said it is not me but them who have said it. LOL

I like them both for different and same reasons. I think both can help us.

Will watch the space to see what BB does.

They said but I believe it. Otoh, I like what Cam is doing, too. We're the winners here!
 
They said but I believe it. Otoh, I like what Cam is doing, too. We're the winners here!
I believe ya. :) We truly are, we have two or in some other person's mind we have a pretty good backup if nothing else?

I could not agree more with you.
 
This may be a little premature but it's PFF's call not mine.

Those of us who beat the drums for Mac Jones pre-draft are to be congratulated for seeing through the arguments against him. The talent and coaching at Bama made it tough but Mac made the throws on his own. I'm pretty sure we got this right and today PFF is in full agreement.

Man, that didn't take long!

I'm loving that both Cam and Mac are playing as well as could have been imagined and are also competing/playing so well together. How does BB keep either QB out of games the way they are playing?
==================================================
by Sam Monson of PFF (yeah, the same guy who claimed TFB was done back in 2014 or whenever it was)

"Much of the pre-draft scouting process was focused on what Jones couldn’t do. Very little time was spent analyzing what he actually excelled at, which is a shame because his final campaign at Alabama last year was one of the finest college seasons ever seen.

Jones posted an overall 95.8 PFF grade in 2020 on his way to winning a national title. That overall mark is higher than any single season grade from any of the past three No. 1 overall draft picks (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow) in their college careers.


QuarterbackBest PFF GradeHighest Adj. Comp. %
Mac Jones95.884.2%
Joe Burrow94.981.9%
Kyler Murray94.678.9%
Baker Mayfield94.580.6%

It’s the highest single-season overall grade PFF has ever given to a college quarterback, and that would be a pretty good starting point to talk up a player’s potential at the next level in any normal year. In a draft where Jones was being directly compared to near-flawless prospects like Trevor Lawrence, or players whose athleticism and physical tools are off the charts, the focus instead shifted to where he was deficient.

Jones is just an average athlete compared to the rest of the 2021 first-round quarterbacks, and that athleticism paired with his underwhelming physique became the focus. The idea of his mental traits and accuracy potentially offsetting those negatives became an afterthought. Back in April, I argued that they do, and the first glimpses of Jones in the NFL backs that up.

Through two preseason games, Jones has already shown that his mental traits and accuracy still play at this level. Obviously, preseason is a step down from the regular season, but it’s all there is to judge at this point. Jones currently has a 92.4 overall PFF grade, the second-best mark of any quarterback, although most of the Week 2 games are still to come. His adjusted completion rate is 80.6%, showing that his accuracy remains potent after a stellar Alabama career.


power-5-cpoe-epa.png


So far, only Jacob Eason has thrown a lower rate of uncatchable passes than Jones this preseason, and Jones has yet to make a turnover-worthy play. A glance at the box score would show he also has yet to register a passing touchdown, but that would belie some of the best throws he has made, many of which have come up incomplete. In Jones’ debut against the Washington Football Team, his best throw beat a defender and landed in the hands of his intended receiver in the end zone, only to fall incomplete. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, he hit a bomb down the sideline to N’Keal Harry, yet the third-year wideout failed to complete the diving catch.

The Patriots have also put Jones in challenging situations, presumably to see if his demeanor remains calm and cool as pressure mounts. Jones has run drives in the hurry-up offense and from backed up in his own end zone. In each situation, he has responded and looked as in-command of the offense as at any other time.

This week, Newton actually put together an impressive performance himself, at least fighting back against what seems a growing weight of evidence that Jones can start right away. Newton earned an 87.4 overall PFF grade and delivered some strikes, certainly aided by the strength of competition (or lack thereof) the Eagles provided. Newton had all day to survey the defense and find an open receiver, averaging over 3.0 seconds per attempt, but unlike the first preseason game, his stock will have come out of this game enhanced, effectively setting the bar Jones needs to clear just a little bit higher.

From the Patriots’ perspective, Jones was drafted in the first round, which means he is the future at the position. The only thing that is unclear is when that future begins.

Rookie quarterbacks typically struggle the most with the mental adjustment to the next level. Only one first-year signal-caller over the past two seasons has averaged a time to throw below 2.6 seconds, a figure 16 veterans have been quicker than. The extra challenge that the NFL provides slows down their processing speed, and since that was Jones’ trump card in college, it stood to reason that a player with his style might struggle the most with the adjustment.

But Jones’ play thus far indicates that is not going to be the case. His average time to throw this preseason is 2.67 seconds, which is almost three-tenths faster than any other Patriots quarterback. The strengths that gave Jones an edge in college remain advantages to his game at the NFL level. If he is capable of running this offense as a rookie and delivering passes as accurately as he has been, it will take Newton’s best play since his MVP season (back in 2015) to keep Jones on the bench and away from the starting job.

Mac Jones looks ready to start for the Patriots right now."

====================================

Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones is PFF's second-highest graded QB. Cam Newton is the 6th (of 40 qualified QBs).
Last year we had 0 good QBs. Now we have 2. Thank you, BB!
A few of us predicted the right qb! Agreed 100%
 
Oh well, I was saying this in December. Called him Mac the Knife because he carves up defenses.
But it still remains to be seen if Bill starts him on week 1.
The critics said that Bama was loaded with talent and it was easy for Mac. Never heard them say that about Burrow when LSU was loaded with talent.
 
Far far better to have two good options at QB than zero, and I have total faith in BB’s ability to avoid a QB controversy regardless of what the media may say. My concerns, valid or not, are a as follows:

Mac Jones is a first round pick. If he beats out a former mvp veteran QB for the starting job too quick, he may get into the mindset that he “deserves” the job, which could be detrimental to his long term growth.
That slide was not a thing of beauty. Combined with the brace, I wonder what exactly he’s dealing with, and worry about him getting significantly injured early on.
I’ve seen many great QB prospects fail to do well early on and lose some vital inner confidence, never to recover. Frankly we don’t know how he’ll handle success or failure until we see it at the NFL level.

For those reasons I’m hopeful Cam plays great this season, stays the starter, gets traded to the team of his choosing during the offseason, and Mac starts and does well next year. Obviously I trust BB to do what’s in the best interest of the team regardless and will enjoy the ride no matter what.
 
Far far better to have two good options at QB than zero, and I have total faith in BB’s ability to avoid a QB controversy regardless of what the media may say. My concerns, valid or not, are a as follows:

Mac Jones is a first round pick. If he beats out a former mvp veteran QB for the starting job too quick, he may get into the mindset that he “deserves” the job, which could be detrimental to his long term growth.
That slide was not a thing of beauty. Combined with the brace, I wonder what exactly he’s dealing with, and worry about him getting significantly injured early on.
I’ve seen many great QB prospects fail to do well early on and lose some vital inner confidence, never to recover. Frankly we don’t know how he’ll handle success or failure until we see it at the NFL level.

For those reasons I’m hopeful Cam plays great this season, stays the starter, gets traded to the team of his choosing during the offseason, and Mac starts and does well next year. Obviously I trust BB to do what’s in the best interest of the team regardless and will enjoy the ride no matter what.
Agree with almost everything. I think Cam is a FA after the season. Take the 3 when he signs somewhere else and be happy for him.
 
Oh well, I was saying this in December. Called him Mac the Knife because he carves up defenses.
But it still remains to be seen if Bill starts him on week 1.
The critics said that Bama was loaded with talent and it was easy for Mac. Never heard them say that about Burrow when LSU was loaded with talent.
it's because he isn't flashy. critics don't know what to do when they can't "oooohhhh and ahhhhh" over physical skills.
 
it's because he isn't flashy. critics don't know what to do when they can't "oooohhhh and ahhhhh" over physical skills.

Yep, many think the mobile dynamics of a more athletic QB is the future of the league. We lived 20 years with a pretty good pocket passer who showed that's not the best way.
Smarts, good decisions and accuracy go a lot farther for a lot longer.
 
Clearly BB doesn't care about the political mess of the whole thing. But I predict Cam will be the starter game 1. Further if he is playing just acceptable (2-2) they will not make a change until after the Tampa Bay/Brady game. If Cam is playing well (3-1) it might take a bit longer.
 
it's because he isn't flashy. critics don't know what to do when they can't "oooohhhh and ahhhhh" over physical skills.
Exactly. 100%.

It's far easy to point to physical traits and say "look at that!". It's far more difficult to do their analytical work that takes to see what less flashy athletes bring to the table. Surprising that that would occur around these parts given our quarterback the previous 20 years.

EDIT: Posted this before I saw Chev's similar sentiment further along in the thread.

Chev :toast:
 
Russell Wilson started as a rookie. Fivehead did. Plenty of other qb's did too. If Big Mac is ready, it would only delay or hold back in terms of progress, development to his potential imo.
 
Russell Wilson started as a rookie. Fivehead did. Plenty of other qb's did too. If Big Mac is ready, it would only delay or hold back in terms of progress, development to his potential imo.

Mac has been given double or triple the number of reps in camp relative to the avg NFL rookie QB. Fast-tracking is the only way to get him ready & BB wants him ready.
There will be no holding him back. I'll bet he goes through mental reps of plays every waking moment. That's a habit of successful people. He fast-tracks himself constantly.

Once the season begins most rookie QBs get a few scraps for reps or reps with the scout team which doesn't help to learn our offense. Not with Mac.
He'll continue to split reps with Cam with the 1s during the season otherwise he may as well be redshirted. That won't happen. He has to be ready whether he's the backup or #1.

There's no downside to fast-tracking a player as long as the player can keep up mentally and physically. I don't worry about him losing confidence. He's been focused on this since he was a kid. He knows every failure is an opportunity to learn. Failure drives him. He's ready for this.
 
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He'll continue to split reps with Cam with the 1s during the season otherwise he may as well be redshirted. That won't happen. He has to be ready whether he's the backup or #1.
This worries me to be honest if it happens. Whoever is the starter needs all the reps once the regular season starts or else our offense will have fits and starts.
 
Exactly. 100%.

It's far easy to point to physical traits and say "look at that!". It's far more difficult to do their analytical work that takes to see what less flashy athletes bring to the table. Surprising that that would occur around these parts given our quarterback the previous 20 years.

EDIT: Posted this before I saw Chev's similar sentiment further along in the thread.

Chev :toast:
I think we need to pump the brakes just a bit. Mac has not even played in a real game yet.
 
Yep, many think the mobile dynamics of a more athletic QB is the future of the league. We lived 20 years with a pretty good pocket passer who showed that's not the best way.
Smarts, good decisions and accuracy go a lot farther for a lot longer.
It's ideal to have both. A guy who is good in the pocket and dynamic (Rodgers, Allen, Wilson).
 
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