After New England’s upset blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills this past weekend in the Wild Card round, many look to the issues of the team and where they stem. Some look to the offense, which seemed mediocre at times and relying on defensive stops and turnovers for a majority of the season. With rookie quarterback Mac Jones at the helm, the Patriot offense seemed to just not click at certain points and this was exemplified even more on Sunday.

The question is being asked, is Mac Jones still the right fit and answer for the Patriots offense?

My thoughts on this topic have changed throughout the season, one that started with high hopes for this offense. Since the beginning of the season, we have all seen Mac Jones take on new responsibilities as the leader of the Patriots offense, one that was headed by Tom Brady for a long time. But as the season went along, Jones revealed himself to be the best rookie quarterback taken out of last year’s draft. He fell to number 15 for the Patriots, and I believe was the steal of the night. Jones finished this season with 3,801 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns to 13 interceptions, and a 67.6 completion percentage; all of which led all rookie quarterbacks. The Patriots ended their regular season 10-7, and lost in the Wild Card round to the Bills in a blowout of 47-17. With this, people are already starting to write off Mac Jones.

Since the loss, Mac Jones has faced a great deal of criticism and has had analysts and NFL fans going as far as saying he should be traded after his first season. This is an outlandish way to judge the situation, seeing that the quarterback led his team to the playoffs in his first NFL season and was clearly better than any other starting rookie quarterback in the league. Jones had a few mis-steps throughout the season, with bad games against the divisional rival Dolphins and Bills, among a few others. He responded well and held himself with an amount of poise that is revered as the ‘Patriot Way’ in Foxboro. His rookie season wasn’t perfect by any means, and he has some improving to do, but I think it’s fair to say Patriots Nation liked what they saw from Mac Jones’ first year.

Here’s how the Patriots can set Mac Jones up for his sophomore 2022-2023 season:

The biggest improvement for the Patriots I believe for next season is to improve the defense in a younger and faster way. As far as the offense goes, building around Mac Jones and his strengths are key. If OC Josh McDaniels leaves to become a head coach elsewhere, this would serve as a blow to Jones and his transitioning into the NFL. But the most important thing Bill Belichick can do as GM and head coach is play to his strengths, which are his football IQ, his leadership, and accuracy in the short game. Jones showed on multiple occasions that his decision making is also very elite, and this is something to build up on as well as he progresses into his second season as starting quarterback. I believe the Patriots need to use this offseason to let the team grow, while improving the defense, but also to build the relationships and trust between the offense with a sophomore quarterback who is hungry and ready to lead the charge again.

As of right now from where we stand, I like what I’ve been seeing from Mac Jones and am excited for next season and the years to come. Obviously, he is being compared to Tom Brady and how he can lead the Patriots in the future, but this unfair assessment comes after only his rookie year and out of context compared to Brady’s early situation with the team. Jones is his own player, and shows that he will build his own legacy, and Patriots Nation should be excited to see how that is going to play out in the near future.