Misuse and Regression of Mac Jones and How to Fix

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chevss454 said:
Q: Would the Pats benefit more from Marcus Jones playing on offense or defense? - @HayderProd
After his 48-yard touchdown against the Bills, I was thinking about the last time we saw a Patriot who was as explosive in the open field as Jones. Maybe Brandin Cooks? Prime Edelman? It's been a while since they've had a player who can reach that gear, and they should, without a doubt, have a gadget play package in the offense for Jones the rest of the way. He's too good of a slot corner prospect to give up on him defensively in favor of offense. But three-to-five plays per game on offense is not a stretch. It would be great to see them build a package out for Jones, where he's both the primary ball carrier and a decoy. Screens, jet sweeps, bluff screens to hit downfield receivers, etc. His speed alone changes how defenses play them.

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What no love for Cordarelle.
 
chevss454 said:
BB would never have put him out there if his hands were an issue.
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No, he made some fine catches in College on both sides of the ball. He's a skilled quick-twitch athlete with great body control who can catch at least as well as many of the receivers we've had over the years and probably better than a lot of them.

The biggest impediment to Marcus getting offensive snaps is simply that he has had to learn two phases as a rookie and is still working his way into the defensive rotation. This shouldn't
preclude him from getting a few plays on Offense, but he shouldn't be expected to have to learn the full route tree and all the adjustments required of each in one season.

The kid is doing really well, overall, and coming along at a good pace. He's just scratching the surface and will become a major contributor by next season in all 3 phases, but it's a lot to
expect a kid to make the jump to the NFL from where he was and instantly know everything.

He might always be kind of a role player, since nobody can play every snap, but I'm really pleased that he's managed to make some huge TDs for us in recent weeks. I just hope that people
have some patience with him, and his usage, moving forward. That is hard to do for a fanbase that hasn't seen a lot of elite scoring plays in recent memory.

One thing is for sure-- the other guys are paying attention to him now and that can be used to our benefit even if he isn't the target.
 
chevss454 said:
Q: Would the Pats benefit more from Marcus Jones playing on offense or defense? - @HayderProd
After his 48-yard touchdown against the Bills, I was thinking about the last time we saw a Patriot who was as explosive in the open field as Jones. Maybe Brandin Cooks? Prime Edelman? It's been a while since they've had a player who can reach that gear, and they should, without a doubt, have a gadget play package in the offense for Jones the rest of the way. He's too good of a slot corner prospect to give up on him defensively in favor of offense. But three-to-five plays per game on offense is not a stretch. It would be great to see them build a package out for Jones, where he's both the primary ball carrier and a decoy. Screens, jet sweeps, bluff screens to hit downfield receivers, etc. His speed alone changes how defenses play them.

www.patriots.com

Patriots Unfiltered Mailbag: What are the Biggest Keys to the Patriots Making a Playoff Push Down the Stretch?

The Patriots remain in the mix for a playoff spot in the AFC.
www.patriots.com www.patriots.com
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Vrabel was on both defense and offense...Marcus could be used in all three phases!
 
jayShomp said:
Usually with players that have a skillset like his are DBs because they have stone hands, can't run routes well enough, or both. Not saying that's definitely the case with him but it has to make you wonder.
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It's not always the case. Sometimes a player is best used in a specific position because he's best fitted for that. Some players can play multiple positions very well...Vrabel would have been a very good TE, for an example.
 
Big/Sky/Fly said:
It's not always the case. Sometimes a player is best used in a specific position because he's best fitted for that. Some players can play multiple positions very well...Vrabel would have been a very good TE, for an example.
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You're just reiterating what I already stated. Obviously there are exceptions which is why I used a term like "usually" and stated "Not saying that's definitely the case with him but it has to make you wonder." My only argument with you is, and maybe you didn't mean it this way, is that it's an open and shut case that Jones should be made a slot receiver. I don't think it's remotely that simple.
 
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Q: Would the Pats benefit more from Marcus Jones playing on offense or defense? - @HayderProd
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I don't want Marcus Jones to be on O --- I want him to stay as a CrayZappy Dangerous Return Specialist and work his way onto D full-time (hopefully as soon as he can suicide Myles Bryant :))

I want THE BIG THREE, Big Talk Bourne as well as The AWOL Team Parker & Agholar to actually do what NFL receivers are supposed to do --- you know --- get The F Open and Catch the GD ball

The way the three above have performed has gone a long way to nearly getting poor F'n Jacobi Myers either killed or completely shut down by opponents because they can treat them 3 guys like moving traffic cones while worrying about #16 who is an actual threat
 
Grogan said:
He's looked bad in one game this year as opposed to Mac who's looked decent in maybe one game that he lot this season. What's your point?
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Mac doesn't have the help that Tua now has. Are you slow or something? Come on now Middie...
 
I’m pretty tepid on Mac Jones. Where the pats were drafting and with the need at QB, he had to be the pick. Had to be.
That said, I’ve seen nothing that’s proven he can be a better than average NFL starting quarterback.
That ok, as long as he be surrounded by talent and kept on a cheap contract.
Right now he’s got no talent, but he’s cheap. Where is Thornton? Plenty of other rookie WRs are out there making plays.
 
rivshark86 said:
I’m pretty tepid on Mac Jones. Where the pats were drafting and with the need at QB, he had to be the pick. Had to be.
That said, I’ve seen nothing that’s proven he can be a better than average NFL starting quarterback.
That ok, as long as he be surrounded by talent and kept on a cheap contract.
Right now he’s got no talent, but he’s cheap. Where is Thornton? Plenty of other rookie WRs are out there making plays.
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the combo of Strange and then Thornton may end up looking real bad in the future.
But at least with Strange you also get Jones+Zappe so it’s always going to be confusing to argue.
Getting Thornton plus Parker to an already crowded group of pass catchers was predicted (at least by me) to be a mess. Not enough targets to go around. So you have a pissed off Bourne and totally underused Agholor, Bourne, Jonnu Smith, Thornton, and Parker, not to mention Harris. All while the OLine has glaring holes and is a bottom 5 OLine regardless of what misleading stats might say
 
DropKickFlutie said:
Mac was elite in play action last year. Another sign Joe Judge and Rothstein have totally f’d up the plays for Mac this year.

2021 article:
“According to charting data from Pro Football Focus, Jones has an Adjusted Completion Percentage (ACP) of 82.8% on play-action designs this season, tying him for fifth-best in the league with Dak Prescott among qualified passers. His raw completion percentage jumps from 67.8% to 77.1% when using play-action, and that difference of 9.3% is fifth-best in the league among qualified passers.”

touchdownwire.usatoday.com

How Mac Jones and the Patriots lean on play-action in the passing game

Mac Jones, and his success on play-action designs, is a part of New England’s six-game winning streak. Let’s dive into the numbers and the film.
touchdownwire.usatoday.com touchdownwire.usatoday.com
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Mac was elite in 2021 at play action. Worse now in crappy play action out of shot gun that no defense bites on. Give him play action from under center especially after some successful inside runs first.

Also will find the stats that Mac was elite against the blitz last year. Going from elite last year in play action and against blitz, to now bad at it, is all on the offensive staff
 
We know Jonnu is an albatross contract (not his fault, thank you Ziegler/McD).

Hunter Henry is still woefully underused. I think he’s a top5 TE.

Mac could put up 4000+ yards and 30TDs in an efficient season if the offense just centered targets toward Henry, Meyers, and Bourne. Forget the crappy chuck plays to Parker or Agholor. Thornton never fit in a Pats offense besides a Bethal Johnson occasional target.

The offense should be 30 Mondre+Harris power runs plus 25 targets a game to Henry, Meyers, and Bourne. That’s 55 snaps right there every single game.
 
They use Henry plenty....to stay in and help block because the Oline is so bad.
 
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