Coaches, motivational speakers, drill sergeants, hardos of the highest order and even sports fans may not want to hear this, but sometimes there are actually legitimate excuses for failures and shortcomings.
Sure the expectation in these parts is to Do Your Job!, but sometimes that is hindered by others’ inabilities to do theirs.
It’s easy for outsiders to yell and scream “No excuses!” but rational reality sometimes quietly says otherwise.
For Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, the 2022 season would be the perfect example that.
Coming off a Pro Bowl rookie year in which the No. 15 overall pick led New England back to the playoffs under the close guidance of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and head coach Bill Belichick, Jones’ sophomore season was doomed long before it ever got underway. McDaniels left for the Las Vegas Raiders and in his infinite genius Belichick decided career DEFENSIVE mind Matt Patricia, best known for his failure as a head coach in Detroit, was the best option to take over Patriots’ OFFENSIVE play-calling duties. And career SPECIAL TEAMS coach Joe Judge, best known for his failure as head coach of the Giants, became Jones’ go-to guy as New England’s QUARTERBACKS coach.
In a mere few months, Jones’ career went from a dream rookie season to a nightmare sophomore campaign. He went from the most stable of situations for a young quarterback in the NFL to the most concerning.
And it all played out in the predictable, dismal, destructive fashion that everyone not named William Stephen Belichick expected it might.
The New England offense declined in virtually every statistical measure in 2022, putting forth the worst offensive season for the Patriots in two decades. The offense was offensive, but not the way it’s supposed to be.
Jones was at the center of all the dysfunction and regression. He was left a broken football figure flinging a flurry of F-bombs to coincide with his too-frequent on-field failures.
But no one could argue in unbiased fashion that Jones was the biggest problem for the Patriots offense. There was ineptitude in the play-calling. Ineptitude in the routes being run. Ineptitude in the personnel being deployed. There was, simply, systemic ineptitude.
The Patriots’ 2022 offense was a complete mess before the ball was even snapped. And none of that was Jones’ fault or responsibility.
So while some will hold 2022 against Jones and use his regression last fall as evidence that he’s not nearly good enough to take the Patriots where they so desperately want and need to get back to, that’s simply not a logical takeaway based on the evidence.
Patricia and Judge were biggest problem for the Patriots offense last season. Heck, admission of this came less than a week after the season concluded in the form of an unprecedented press release letting the world know that the team would be interviewing for offensive coordinator candidates ASAP!
This isn’t a personal affront to Patricia, it simply is what it is. He was put in position to fail and by extension so was Jones.
Forget 2022. Forget Patricia’s play calls and scheme and disappointed sideline facial expressions covered by his bushy beard. Forget it all. That’s water under the bridge of Foxborough failure now.
Now that Bill O’Brien has brought competent, experienced leadership to the New England coaching staff, the unit has been stabilized and legitimized by its new offensive coordinator. It’s on to 2023!
That’s great news for Jones and his weapons. Great news for all involved.
But now, now the excuses for Jones and the offense are gone.
Now it’s all on Jones. It’s all about his ability to read defenses. His ability to make timely decisions. His ability to unleash accurate throws. His ability to play the quarterback position at a requisite NFL level.
Patricia and the legitimate excuses that he represented for Jones are now in the rearview mirror.
The Patriots offense, driven by O’Brien, is on the road to redemption.
So, too, might Jones be. Or he could be on the road to getting exposed. If he fails now, if he’s a frustrated mess now, he can no longer point to the sidelines. He can no longer point fingers.
Make no mistake, 2023 is a make or break season for Jones. His career trajectory could bounce back or nosedive. His future may be bright or may be as a backup. That is all to be determined.
But one thing is for sure, there are now no more excuses for Mac Jones.
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