Mac Jones and the New England Patriots held their first open practice of this spring’s offseason organized team activities (OTAs) session on Wednesday.
For the incoming third-year quarterback, it seems as if things are going more smoothly than this time last year.
After a disastrous sophomore campaign from the former first-round pick, New England opted to bring back Bill O’Brien as its offensive coordinator. The idea was to give Jones and this offense someone with a vast amount of experience.
While it’s still relatively early in the process, Jones is already throwing praise in the direction of his new offensive coordinator.
“It’s been really good. It’s been normal. I think everything he’s (O’Brien) done so far has been really good. Communication is the most important part. And trust. I think it all starts with that with a new coach. He’s done a great job controlling the room. I feel like everyone’s on the same page.”
Mac Jones on Bill O’Brien during Wednesday’s media session
O’Brien returns to the Patriots where he was an offensive coordinator back in 2011. O’Brien spent the previous four seasons before taking over that role as an assistant under Bill Belichick.
Since then, he’s gone on to be the head coach for Penn State and the Houston Texans. Most recently, O’Brien served as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide over the past two seasons. Obviously, he has the experience New England is looking for in this role.
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Did Mac Jones take a shot at Joe Judge, Matt Patricia?
It was roughly this time last year that Jones was learning a new offense under co-coordinators Joe Judge and Matt Patricia. Neither had experience running an offense at the professional level.
In fact, Patricia is best known for his work as a defensive-minded coach. As for Judge, he made his keep as a special teams coordinator earlier in his career. It showed as Jones struggled in his first full offseason as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
“He’s obviously had a lot of great experience in the NFL and at Alabama where I was at so there’s a lot of good stuff that we talk about. Just looking forward to working with him,” Jones said on Wednesday.
There’s that experience comment again. Having someone in a position of power to push and teach Jones could end up being a godsend moving forward.
As a rookie back in 2021, Jones completed 68% of his passes for 3,801 yards with 22 TD and 13 INT en route to leading the Patriots to a surprise playoff appearance. His performance took a major hit working under Judge and Patricia in 2022.
- Mac Jones stats (2022): 65% completion, 2,997 yards, 14 TD, 11 INT, 84.8 QB rating
While Jones himself has to take responsibility for his struggles and improve heading into his third season, it’s clear that a better foundation is in place. Whether that means he’s taking a shot at the two aforementioned veteran assistants remains to be seen.