ESPN analyst believes Patriots' Mac Jones will be Pro Bowl QB again in 'very near future'
Mac Jones is looking to put last season behind him and is focused on improving heading into year three and one ESPN expert believes in the quarterback. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit appeared on the “The Pat McAfee Show” and was full of praise for Jones. “I’m 1,000 percent behind Mac Jones. Of all the younger quarterbacks that […]
Mac Jones is looking to put last season behind him and is focused on improving heading into year three and one ESPN expert believes in the quarterback.
ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit appeared on the “The Pat McAfee Show” and was full of praise for Jones.
“I’m 1,000 percent behind Mac Jones. Of all the younger quarterbacks that have not had the opportunity to kind of prove their consistency and what they can offer,” Herbstreit said. “I’m just telling you right now in whatever month we’re in, I’m telling you right now that Mac Jones is gonna be a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback in the very near future — whether it’s this year or in the next couple years. He’s that good.”
Herbstreit added that prior to the 2021 NFL Draft, he sat down with many of the top quarterbacks including Jones. And Herbstreit was clear that Jones was the "most impressive quarterback (he'd) ever spoken to in college about what he sees and how his brain processes and how it fires."
“So, give me a break on what they were doing on offense last year. He had no chance. Not only did he not have weapons around him, but what they were doing schematically, he had no chance. So to blame him is a bunch of bullsh*t," Herbstreit said. "You get Bill O'Brien, who is good offensive mind as there is to come in there and work with Mac Jones, I'm telling you right now, you're going to see a drastic change in what he's doing as a quarterback and what the Patriots are going to be able to do on that side of the football.
Jones was the NFL’s top rookie quarterback in 2021 under the direction of former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He had 352 completions for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns.
However, with McDaniels leaving to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 and Matt Patricia become the main play caller for the Patriots, Jones took a serious step back. He appeared in 14 games, having to sit out for an injury, and threw for 2,997 yards (288 completions) and 14 touchdowns.
With O'Brien's play calling, Herbstreit is confident that the Patriots will be a much stronger offensive powerhouse.
“I’m not gonna to say they’re gonna be the most improved offense and he’ll be the most improved quarterback,” Herbstreit told the hosts. “But he’s gonna be in the top three. And without a doubt the Patriots are gonna be among the top three most improved offenses."
So all in all, Herbstreit message is clear: "Get ready for a much improved Patriots season this year."
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Featured Image via Sophie Weller – A to Z Sports
