Patriots QB Mac Jones Is Saying All The Right Things Amid Lack of Offensive Identity
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is partaking in the damage control around the Pats' offense this offseason.
As head coach Bill Belichick hands off the offensive reins to former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and offensive assistant / former special teams coach Joe Judge, doubts concerning New England's strategy continue to mount as the season approaches.
Understanding the buzz around the offense, Jones gave well-scripted responses to traipse around the offensive uncertainty during a press conference on Thursday.
With Patricia and Judge appearing like an odd pair to lead the post-Josh McDaniels Patriots, Jones did nothing but show support for the questionable duo.
“I think the coaches have done a good job just kind of listening to us,” Jones shared Thursday. “If we don’t like something, it’s something that they’re going to listen to and tell us why we should do one thing or another.
"At the end of the day, they have a lot of experience, and they know exactly how to attack a defense. And that’s something that we’ve kind of bought into. There’s a lot of knowledge, and a lot of it is just making sure we’re all on the same page.”
Jones shared that Belichick's fingerprints will remain in the offensive plan moving forward.
“There’s things that I’ve done in the past or things that I like and we’re trying to incorporate them,” Jones said. “Or things that coach Belichick sees on the film and he’s like, ‘Hey, what do you think about this?’ So, it’s very fluid."
The departure of offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia looms over the Patriots' offense.
On the bright side, Jones chiseled down his dad bod over the offseason — in case he needs to take off from a collapsing pocket.
The offense also lost longtime running back James White to retirement this offseason, denying Jones of a pass-catching option out of the backfield.
“At the end of the day, I’m going to do whatever they tell me to do and do it to the best of my ability,” Jones concluded.
Jones enjoyed a decent rookie campaign in 2021: putting up 3,801 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The Patriots QB was named an AFC Pro Bowl selection.