It's obvious by now that the 2022 season didn't go the way that Mac Jones and the New England Patriots hoped it would.

The then-second-year quarterback regressed from his solid rookie season, throwing for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while posting an 84.8 passer rating in 14 games. The downturn in play led the Patriots to win two fewer games as they missed the playoffs.

As Jones knows that last year didn't go well, some of his teammates have noticed a new and improved version of him. And that's not just with his play, either. Patriots safety Adrian Phillips noted how well Jones has carried himself through training camp this year, on the field and off it, as he looks to turn things around in 2023. Via NBC Sports Boston:

“I just think overall, he’s a way better quarterback. He took last year on the chin. He’ll be the first one to tell you that’s not how he wanted to play,” Phillips told reporters. “And for all of us, that’s not how any of us wanted to play. But he’ll be the first to tell you that, and he’s coming out here every single day and he’s trying to light our defense up. Like, literally, light us up.

“I’m talking bombs, anything that he can do. You just love to see that. He’s always checking the play [at the line of scrimmage]. He’s always ready to give you something that you have to think about. I just think his confidence is through the roof right now.”

Mac Jones said he appreciated Phillips' comment, saying how he's approached practice differently this season.

“Just keep growing, keep competing, keep it fun, go back-and-forth with the defense. I think we’ve done that more this year, and really just try to carry it over to the game and keep that intensity up,” Jones said. “One thing in practice, you can get into a rhythm. I think sometimes in preseason it’s hard to get into a rhythm, but you have to work through that and try and find out in what ways you can start fast and really just carry that momentum into the season.

“But, I think the defense has given us great looks, both the scout defense and the starting defense. So, we definitely really enjoy competing against them.”

Jones deflected when he was asked about Phillips' comment about him being a “way better quarterback,” but he shared how he's been helping with him.

“One of the things that he has actually been helping me with is just asking questions,” Jones said. “Obviously, we haven’t even played a game yet, so I don’t know if that’s true or not. But, I mean, I think just talking with him, asking him questions when we’re going against them, like ‘hey, what did I do there’? He’s like, ‘Hey, good job looking me off on that man-to-man coverage’, or whatever, and just trying to take it from the practice field to the game field and use those tools that I have.

“But yeah, it’s just continuing to grow and staying to the process, I guess. Don’t veer off the process.”