Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are looking forward to the 2022 NFL season.
They have Mac Jones as quarterback and have Malcolm Butler returning to the team.
However, Jones might be the X-factor working against the team this season.
While the second-year QB had a good season last year, there are things that were concerning about his play.
But many fans will point out how that was his rookie season, and no rookie is perfect.
With that in mind, what are three factors working against the Patriots QB this season?
3. Jones Showed Horrible Play Against Several Teams At The End Of The 2021 Season
When you examine his last games against the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts, you see him making mistakes early.
Those mistakes were critical errors that would factor into the Patriots losing those games.
The Colts game was the first look at how he could not handle the pressure of facing a good team.
Mac Jones is picked off in the red zone 💥
Colts lead the Patriots 17-0.
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/uuksxHhoNx
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 19, 2021
That game saw him throwing two interceptions, with both of them being costly for the team.
Mac Jones with his second completion to a Colts linebacker 😬 pic.twitter.com/RtKwNlWZ3F
— PFF (@PFF) December 19, 2021
His first game against the Bills didn’t see him doing much.
In fact, he only had three passes for 19 yards in that game.
Mac Jones: “Can we throw the ball?”
Bill Belichick: pic.twitter.com/cB5mXpVJQd
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) December 7, 2021
However, it would be the second and third games against the Bills that would see him show a poor performance.
Interceptions were plenty in those two games, with one coming in the end zone during the AFC playoffs.
Why Armstrength Matters
Josh Allen vs Mac Jones#BillsMafia #GoBills #BuffaloBills #NFL #nflplayoffs pic.twitter.com/EHT7kYeZnc
— Greg Cover 1 🏈 (@GregTompsett) April 9, 2022
His lack of arm strength, and high arc, would put a nail in the Patriots playoff hopes.
It could be the same in 2022.
2. Jones Faces An AFC Full Of Tougher Teams In 2022
The AFC saw its teams make huge upgrades.
Miami and Buffalo both improved in the division.
Teams like the Browns and Raiders, who they will face in 2022, made improvements that could hurt Jones against them.
They won’t let the Patriots quarterback walk away with an easy win.
The Raiders could be tough, as they have Jones’ former offensive coach on their team now.
Which leads to the biggest thing working against Jones in 2022.
1. Jones Is Without Josh McDaniels In 2022
Anyone who knows about Josh McDaniels doesn’t need much more said about why missing him will affect Jones.
McDaniels was both the offensive coach and quarterbacks coach last season that saw Jones make waves with New England.
However, with him gone, he’ll have new coaching for this season.
But while the New England quarterback is optimistic, other players are a little concerned.
Without the same coach there, there might be issues with the second-year quarterback learning from someone new.
While he isn’t worried about it, there are still concerns about the move.
McDaniels was the longtime coach behind Tom Brady and his progression as a quarterback.
Missing out on a coach who was working with Brady for so many years means he’s now looking to another coach that never had that experience.
It will be interesting to see how Jones ends up adjusting to the new coaching on offense.
While he’s in high spirits now with the offensive coaching moves, the regular season might tell a different story.
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