Mac Jones' second NFL season officially begins on Sunday. The New England Patriots quarterback takes on a division rival that he's actually never beaten, going up against the Miami Dolphins on the road. With that said, we take a look at the matchup and make our Mac Jones Week 1 bold predictions.
3. Mac Jones gets sacked at least a few times
There was one constant throughout the seven drives Mac Jones played in during the preseason: he was constantly under duress in the games against the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders, getting sacked three times and being pressured on numerous plays.
Jones was under pressure so much at one point that he had to scramble around in the pocket before taking off to try and get yards on the ground on one play. In another play against the Raiders, he scrambled around so much that he lost sight of a linebacker and threw an interception.
Mac Jones just threw a bad interception pic.twitter.com/BxUScjeDwc
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) August 27, 2022
The Dolphins don't have a star pass-rusher. However, the Patriots struggled to protect Jones when most of the starting offensive line played against the Panthers' and Raiders' backups. Miami also recorded three sacks over the two matchups against Jones and New England last season, and that was with arguably a better offensive line in place.
2. Mac Jones finds connection with Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers, but struggles to complete passes to DeVante Parker and Nelson Agholor
If you're expecting a revenge game for DeVante Parker in his first game with the Patriots against his former team, I wouldn't count on it.
Parker will likely be covered by Dolphins All-Pro corner Xavien Howard, who's proven to be one of the game's best at his position over the last few years. Not only that, Parker has also been a boom-or-bust receiver throughout training camp. He had days where he had multiple big receptions either for big gains or for touchdowns during team drills while having just as many practices where he recorded very few targets.
In a similar vein, I wouldn't expect Nelson Agholor to have a big day, either. The veteran wideout showed some progression during camp and the preseason in his second season with the Patriots, recording a big 45-yard reception in the preseason game against the Panthers. But like Parker, he also had many days where he was targeted a very little amount.
The presence of the two outside receivers though should open up things for New England's other receivers in the middle of the field. Meyers was by far Jones' top target in training camp after being the team's leading receiver a year ago. I wouldn't expect that to change this season.
Tremendous effort from Kendrick Bourne pic.twitter.com/00RcSiYF88
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) November 28, 2021
Kendrick Bourne, who was quiet for much of camp and the preseason, could have a strong game if the other receivers are getting the attention from the Dolphins' defense. He's by far New England's most crafty receiver when working with open space. And with the new streamlined offense designed to let skill players make plays with their speed, I'd expect Jones tries to find a way to get Bourne involved.
If he plays, Ty Montgomery could be Jones' security blanket out of the backfield in this game. The running back was featured as the primary receiver out of the backfield for most of camp. Tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry could also be common targets of Jones, too. Smith performed much better in training camp this offseason than he did in his first season with the Patriots, suggesting a sign of better things to come.
1. Mac Jones throws a pair of touchdown passes, but also a costly interception
The addition of Parker gives something the Patriots haven't had in a while: a receiver who is a legitimate end zone threat. If he is going to make an impact in this game, I think it would be in that sort of realm, being used on a one-on-one play in the end zone.
Even if Parker isn't utilized like that in Sunday's game, the Patriots have other big play options for Jones. Bourne made several big plays last season as he had five touchdown receptions. Henry should still be a threat to make a touchdown grab when the Patriots are in the red zone after having nine touchdowns last season, tied for the most among all tight ends.
However, New England's offensive line is going to put Jones in a bad position at numerous points throughout the game. As mentioned earlier, Jones scrambled his way into an interception against the Raiders in the preseason. It wouldn't shock me if he makes a similar play on Sunday, or if he just makes a bad pass like he did in the season-finale against the Dolphins last season.
I predicted earlier that the Patriots will lose a close one to the Dolphins, so any turnover committed could swing the balance of this game.
Follow Us
Subscribe