The New England Patriots benched Mac Jones for the third time this season in their 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, and it should mark the end of his time in Foxborough.
Jones committed another face-palming gaffe that led to his benching in the loss to the Colts. As the Patriots were knocking on the doorstep to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, Jones drastically underthrew an open Mike Gesicki and was intercepted by Colts safety Julian Blackmon, who didn't need to make much of an effort to catch the ball.
That was Jones' final pass of the game. The quarterback was pulled for Bailey Zappe when the Patriots took the field one last time with less than two minutes. Jones' interception could easily be his final pass with the Patriots, and it would certainly be understandable. The interception was his 10th of the year, a league-high mark, and he hasn't done much to give the team the belief that he should be their quarterback moving forward.
Why Patriots need to move on from Mac Jones
Just a little more than halfway through his third season in the league, Mac Jones has somehow seemed to increase the number of throws that will make everyone yell expletives in confusion and wonder what he was doing or saw on the play.
That's why Sunday's interception almost felt a little numb. It looked so, so bad. It was an inexcusable throw.
Yet, it might not even be one of Jones' three worst passes so far this season. Unlike his pick-6s against the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints plus his interception against the Miami Dolphins two weeks ago, Jones' interception on Sunday was the right decision. Gesicki was either open or about to break open. He saw the right play, unlike the other outcomes, where he made a horrible decision.
But Jones didn't execute — and that's where the problem lies.
It's hard enough as is to be successful in the NFL when you don't make the right decisions or reads as a quarterback. But you can overcome it if you execute well in other aspects of the game, or you're still able to make tough throws when need be. If you make bad decisions and can't execute on easy passes, you're not going to be good, which explains why the Patriots might have the worst offense in the NFL.
The most telling stat of Jones' season is the Patriots' record when he throws an interception and when he doesn't throw a pick. They're 2-0 in the two games that Jones hasn't thrown an interception. For those who can do the math, that means the Patriots have lost every game this season when Jones has thrown an interception.
That's a clear indication that the margins to win for New England are razor-thin. Numerous quarterbacks in the league can overcome turnovers as some of the league's best are among the league leaders in interceptions this season. Josh Allen has thrown nine picks. Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts have each thrown eight in one fewer start than Jones.
But those players have a superstar ability that Jones doesn't have. It's clear that Jones is more in Jimmy Garoppolo's section of the quarterback tiers — a quarterback who can have nice moments but has to play a near-spotless game in order to succeed.
Now, Jones certainly isn't alone in carrying the blame here. His offensive line and wide receiver corps have diminished since his rookie season, arguably having the worst in each area over the last two years. And being in the Garoppolo tier isn't necessarily a bad thing if you have the right players around you. Tua Tagovailoa could be in that tier as he has thrown seven interceptions this season but has been able to win games because of the elite offensive talent around him, similar to what Garoppolo had in San Francisco.
It's harder to argue, though, that the situation in New England is holding back Jones. He's continuing to make the same mistakes over and over again, throwing the ball off his back foot when a pass requires more zip and missing open receivers. He plays like a quarterback who has been broken by the system and staff surrounding him.
It's understandable why Jones might feel that way. The Patriots have done just about everything wrong around him offensively since the end of his rookie season.
What's next?
That's why it's clear that both sides need a divorce. Neither side trusts each other anymore, and neither party has really given the other one much of a good reason. Jones can still be a good quarterback in this league, it just won't be in New England. He's too far gone at this point.
Should the Patriots ride it out with Jones for the rest of the season? Sure, why not. You've got nothing to lose and we already know that they think their backup quarterbacks stink, too. Heck, maybe Jones can build up some trade value in these seven relatively meaningless games.
But it's clear that after Robert Kraft should also show Jones the door after he lets Bill Belichick walk this offseason.
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