The Jacksonville Jaguars observed a different Mac Jones in the preseason compared to the version the New England Patriots had become familiar with over the past few years.
Jones delivered another impressive performance in the preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday. Throughout the preseason, he completed 73.1% (38-of-52) of his passes for 421 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
What’s behind Jones’ preseason success?
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson credits it to shedding the bad habits Jones picked up with New England. Pederson’s comments seemed to subtly criticize the Patriots for mishandling the development of their 2021 first-round pick.
“Mac has played extremely well in the last couple of weeks and has really bought into what we do,” Pederson told reporters after Jacksonville’s 31-0 victory over the Falcons, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “He’ll still revert back to his Patriots ways every now and then, and we have to remind him he’s in Jacksonville. But he’s done a good job managing and running the offense, getting everybody involved. He sees the field well, throws a good ball, so he’s done a good job.”
The fresh environment and the relief of not being the franchise quarterback a role filled by Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville likely contributed to Jones playing more freely in his short time with the Jaguars.
Jones, who was traded this offseason for a sixth-round pick, appeared completely broken by the end of his time with the Patriots. After a promising rookie season where he led New England to the playoffs and earned a Pro Bowl spot, Jones struggled under Matt Patricia, who served as the Patriots’ de facto offensive coordinator in 2022. The situation didn’t improve when Bill O’Brien took over those duties last season.
Jones suffered through a tough season last year, being benched for the final six games. Over his three seasons with New England, he lost 17 of his last 25 games and recorded 8,918 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions.
While Pederson acknowledged that the Patriots and Bill Belichick didn’t set Jones up for success, he also implied that Jones bears some responsibility for how things unfolded in New England.
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