The New England Patriots were riding a seven-game winning streak and rookie quarterback Mac Jones was absolutely shining. But, they've now lost two straight games and the ex-Alabama standout has struggled to find his previous brilliance as the battle for the AFC East crown comes down to the wire.
Despite Jones' lackluster play lately, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels doesn't sound too worried that his QB could potentially be hitting a rookie wall for the Patriots.
“He’s doing fine, no concern on that. Each rookie kind of handles that differently. There’s always a stretch during the course of the middle of the season that’s a little bit new to him, because when you count the preseason games, preseason work, starting in July, usually that happens somewhere towards the end of October, middle of November, somewhere in there. But he’s gotten through that. He understands what he needs to do. He does a great job with his regimen, takes care of his body, his preparation. He’s learned how to manage his time and what he needs to allocate it towards, and I think that’s a really important thing for a young player.”
The Patriots signal-caller has completed just 40 of 77 passes across the last two contests, throwing for only 444 yards. In the process, Jones has been intercepted four times as he put together back-to-back poor showings against the Colts and Bills.
There was no doubt this would happen, though. A rookie isn't going to just cruise through his first season in the NFL without any trials and tribulations. Jones will have a clear opportunity to right his wrongs this weekend as the Patriots face the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars.
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