The New England Patriots have lost two of their key defenders to injuries and thus need the offense to step up. Mac Jones has already been under scrutiny and now the pressure to deliver is really on.

Jones has led a poor offense through the first four weeks of the 2023 season. The Patriots rank 21st in net yards per offensive drive and 30th in points. While it is true that New England's supporting cast for its quarterback is lackluster, it is more than fair to point out Jones' shortcomings. Belichick complimented his mental toughness but that may not be enough for him to keep his starting role if he continues to disappoint.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Patriots are still rolling with Jones “despite frustration with the way Jones played” in New England's blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys. There isn’t a change coming soon but backup Bailey Zappe did see more practice reps this week.

“Now, Mac played pretty well out of the gate this season. He does not have a lot of time to throw, he does not have a go-to receiver. But other teams who watch the tape from the Cowboys game say Mac's eyes are down. He is looking at the rush. It's impossible to play on-time, efficient football like that. No change is considered likely or imminent at this point but worth noting here, Zappe did get increased practice reps this week.”

The Patriots keeping their backup quarterback prepared to play isn’t usually a massive deal. But with Jones being on thin ice, it's not an insignificant tidbit of info. Zappe did look solid last season filling in for Jones when he was injured. Jones showed a good amount of potential as a rookie two years ago but has yet to solidify himself as a legitimate QB1. The Pats' less-than-ideal supporting cast can only be used as an excuse to a certain extent. He simply needs to pick up his level of play soon.

Mac Jones will look to bounce back at home against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. The Patriots need to start picking up wins in order to keep pace with the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.