Could Mac Jones fit Sean Payton if he’s available?
Sean Payton was impressed by Mac Jones.
Then-Patriots rookie, who was having a fantastic season that culminated in the Patriots’ only post-Tom Brady playoff appearance to date, was praised by Payton, who was still coaching the New Orleans Saints.
According to NFL on Fox’s Jay Glazer, Payton stated, “I loved him coming out,” on a Fox NFL Sunday episode that aired early in the 2021 season.
“However, from what I saw on film this week, he makes really quick decisions. As a young quarterback, he’s tough for us to sack, but it will also be difficult for us to draw him into rookie errors.”
quick choices. That’s essential. Put another way, having a rapid processing speed. It is the most difficult quality to assess in a quarterback. Sean Payton requests that he receive his papers. And Mac Jones may possess one.
For this reason, there is some significance to the report that the Patriots might be willing to trade Mac Jones. Despite his lackluster play over the past two seasons, he does possess the skill set necessary for Payton’s offense’s rhythm and timing.
Since 2021, the data on Jones has not been consistent.
It will be a restoration task for whoever adds Mac Jones. Because, to put it plainly, Jones had the worst season of his career in 2023 and kept terrible company.
32 quarterbacks in all with a total of at least 300With a minus-0.082 expected points added per play, Jones ranked 30th in plays when totaling pass attempts, rushing attempts, and times sacked.
While his ranking of 23rd out of 30 was significantly better, his success rate of 44.5 percent wasn’t great either. The small difference between the two indicates that he is not as adept at creating explosive plays downfield as he is at keeping an offense on schedule.
And Jones came in 29th place out of those 32 quarterbacks with a completion percentage over expectation of minus-2.9 percent.
However, Mac Jones’ EPA/play of
0.123 in 2021, the year he played in New England under Josh McDaniels’ play-calling, was a respectable 14th out of 31 quarterbacks with at least 300 plays. With a 50.5 percent success rate, he ranked eighth.
Jones’s success departed with McDaniels when he moved to Las Vegas. His 2022 EPA/play dropped to -0.031, placing him 26th out of 32 quarterbacks with300 plays minimum. With a 41.3 percent success rate, he ranked 29th. Yes, that was awful, but at least it was one spot better than Russell Wilson for the season.
Mac Jones’s chances of success could depend on selecting the appropriate play-caller and offense. That’s the reason Sean Payton vs. Jones could be an interesting match, even though it probably won’t have a big impact on the country.