Rookie quarterback Mac Jones ended his season in an embarrassing playoff loss to the division rivals Buffalo Bills. It was the worst playoff loss suffered by the New England Patriots during the Bill Belichick era. Yet the young quarterback still has high hopes for the upcoming 2022 season.
It was definitely a terrible loss for the Patriots as the Bills outperformed them in every aspect of the play. The end result 47-17 was the last thing Bill Belichick had hoped. And it just shows that the team is now lacking a great leader, just like Tom Brady. Although this was just the first season for Mac Jones, expecting the world from a rookie is not ideal.
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The Bills took the Patriots by surprise and dominated the game through and through in those extremely unforgiving temperatures. Towards the end of the first half, the Bills were leading the game with a 27-0 score, making it hard for the guests to come back in the game.
Mac Jones is about as close to Tom Brady as I am to Buffalo. I'm in Los Angeles.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 16, 2022
Throughout his first season, Jones has totaled 352-of-521 passes covering 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Along with that, he has also run for 129 yards on 44 carries. Speaking of comparable stats among rookie QBs in NFL history, Jones’ completion rate of 67.6 percent ranks second, his 3,801 passing yards rank fifth, and his 92.5 passing-efficiency rating ranks sixth.
Mac Jones on his embarrassing playoff loss
However, the rookie believes that it was not the outcome anyone was hoping for, but he did get to learn many ins and outs of the play. He looks forward to bouncing back next season, and his one-year experience will come in handy next time.
Also Read: Joe Burrow Helps Cincinnati Bengals Claim First Playoff Win in 31 Years
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“Losing terrible, none of us wanted to do that tonight,” Jones said. “But there’s nothing we can do about it. There’s a lot to look forward to and be positive about and learn from. There’s nothing to hang our heads on. I’m super proud of the people who have helped me grow as a person–coaches, players, support staff, and all that. There’s a lot to look back on and just learn. There’s nothing to feel sorry about. It’s just a learning experience to get better for next year.”
“I think the future is bright for this organization with that young man. He’s the type of man you hope to build around,” Matthew Slater says of Mac Jones. “Patriots Nation should be excited about having No. 10 as their quarterback.” pic.twitter.com/RKeucjzgFR
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 16, 2022
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The Patriots have now called it a season and are now looking forward to improvising their plays. Do you think that the Belichick-led side will excel in their approach? Or will they fall short just as they did this season? Let us know in the comments below!
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