Bedard: Mac Jones Would be OUT This Week if Patriots Had Better Option

CLNS Media Sports Network

In a segment from the Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast, Greg and Nick discussed if Mac Jones deserves to be benched. Bedard revealed what some his sources had to say on New England's current QB situation.  "From the people I've talked to ... they don't have a good alternative if, if they had a guy ready to go that they felt good about, I think Mac would be OUT this week."  If you enjoyed this content, please make sure to watch the full episode HERE: https://youtu.be/3z5KBslOtsY | Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast  FanDuel Sportsbook is the exclusive wagering partner of the CLNS Media Network. NEW customers can bet $5  and get $200 in BONUS BETS – GUARANTEED. Now is the best time to join FanDuel! The app is easy to use and you can be on everything from spreads to player props and more! So, visit https://FanDuel.com/BOSTON and kick off the NFL season with an offer you won’t wanna miss.   21+ and present in MA. Hope is here. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. GamblingHelpLineMa.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support. Play it smart from the start! GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234.  Ever wished you could navigate the betting field with the confidence of a pro Download the Odds-R App! They're not a sportsbook, but they're the sports betting advisor you've always needed. Patriots Press Pass viewers get a 30-day free trial! Elevate your game day and join the smart betting revolution! Go get it at https://oddsr.com/presspass  Visit https://factormeals.com/PRESSPASS50 to get 50% off your first box! Factor is America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Kit, can help you fuel up fast with ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door.

Transcript

00:00 So we've heard that they're gonna stick by Mac Jones, Greg.

00:05 Bill O'Brien said they're sticking with Mac Jones.

00:08 The feel in the building,

00:09 if you look at what people are saying,

00:11 and maybe you have your own reporting on this,

00:13 but there's been some things said today on X

00:16 and on the air at 98.5 especially,

00:19 that this is one of those things where it's like,

00:21 yeah, Mac, we're gonna start you this week,

00:25 but make sure you have a good week of practice,

00:27 and don't screw things up on Sunday

00:29 because this is likely your last shot.

00:31 - Yeah, I would agree with that.

00:36 I mean, look, when I was watching the film back,

00:39 basically by like halftime, I was like, Mac's done.

00:41 He's done, his confidence is shot.

00:45 You could see some frustration on the part of his teammates.

00:50 It seems like if he hasn't lost them, it's close.

00:55 The guys like, and we heard them after the game,

00:57 Hunter Henry, David Andrews, fellow captains,

01:00 who are shining a bright light at the turnovers,

01:03 and you could see Hunter Henry react to the pick six,

01:06 where he's putting his arms up in the air like,

01:10 what the hell, I was open on the play,

01:12 like what are you doing?

01:13 We just talked about this.

01:14 You're not gonna, you said you weren't gonna

01:16 turn the ball over.

01:17 We're not gonna turn the ball over,

01:18 and you give them another touchdown,

01:21 and then the fumble to start the second half,

01:26 the pitch, it's bad.

01:30 I mean, look, you can make the case.

01:33 The Dallas game, I somewhat excused,

01:36 and we talked about it.

01:37 Like, the pressure rate was so much,

01:40 and he obviously got sped up from the strip sack.

01:43 Starting with that, he didn't know what to do,

01:47 and he was out of sorts, and that happens

01:48 to every quarterback at some point in their career,

01:51 especially young quarterbacks under a lot of pressure.

01:54 So you could sort of be like, okay, that's a one-off.

01:58 We haven't really seen Mac that way before,

02:00 so they just need to figure out a way to settle him down,

02:04 and maybe he'll be okay.

02:06 That was not the case in this game.

02:10 I wrote a column for BSJ where I went through

02:14 multiple plays where I downgraded Mac.

02:19 Even, for example, the long pass connection

02:22 that he had to Kendrick Bourne.

02:24 Okay, I mean, it went for like 26 yards.

02:27 He hit him in stride, it's nice,

02:28 but the ball was up there forever.

02:30 Like, you can't get away with that.

02:33 It got away with it on that play,

02:35 but it didn't need to be that way.

02:36 His mechanics are still extremely sloppy.

02:39 He wasn't quite going off the back foot as much.

02:41 This time, he was just throwing flat-footed,

02:43 and there were times where he could drive the ball.

02:45 I didn't think pressure, pressure rate was still

02:47 above 40 in this game, but it didn't seem hopeless.

02:52 He had opportunities to make plays in this game,

02:57 or at least time to make plays,

02:59 but he's not patient with the play developing.

03:04 His timing is off, and to me, Nick,

03:07 it's not just Jones, and that's why

03:12 I'm okay with them sticking with him,

03:13 'cause here's an example.

03:15 Second play of the game, they come out.

03:17 Vermander Stevenson runs for, I think,

03:19 seven or eight yards on the first play.

03:21 They come out on the next play,

03:23 and Juju Smith-Schuster runs a route

03:26 that I'm not sure was correct,

03:27 but more importantly, he's in the right slot.

03:31 It's a typical Patriots route, just, you know,

03:34 you've seen Wes Welker, you've seen Julian Edelman,

03:37 you've seen Troy Brown, like, you know,

03:39 haul ass up on the defensive back,

03:41 and then all of a sudden, turn around,

03:42 and you're available, and because you are a threat

03:45 to go up the field, the guy has to back off a little bit.

03:47 That's how you get separation,

03:49 but what does Juju Smith-Schuster do?

03:52 First of all, he cuts his route short.

03:54 It's not timed up to the top of Mac's route,

03:57 top of his drop, and he also came off the line like crap,

04:02 and Tyron Matthews wasn't threatened at all,

04:05 and in fact, he took a couple steps

04:07 like he's gonna jump it, which got Mac to flinch,

04:12 to pump fake, and then he threw up top

04:15 to Kendrick Bourne, incomplete, he wasn't that open,

04:19 and it's just like, they can't even do

04:21 simple stuff like that, Nick, and it's not just,

04:25 it's not just Mac Jones, it's the receivers,

04:28 it's the lack of separation, it's how Bill O'Brien

04:32 is stringing things along, there's a way

04:34 to sort of give your quarterback breadcrumbs

04:37 to gain their confidence back, and, you know,

04:40 let's run high percentage plays,

04:43 and get his feet under 'em, and they can't do

04:46 any of that stuff right now, so, but as far as Mac,

04:50 specifically about him keeping his job,

04:52 from the people I've talked to, and from my understanding,

04:56 this is more about they don't have a good alternative.

04:59 If they had a guy ready to go that they felt good about,

05:04 I think Mac would be out this week,

05:06 but Bailey Zappi was worse than Mac was in this game.

05:10 He's awful, he doesn't have a whole lot of support

05:13 in the building, Will Greer, we don't know

05:15 how much of the playbook he knows,

05:17 Malik Cunningham is not a quarterback still,

05:19 people gotta stop bringing him up, he's not a quarterback,

05:22 Bill O'Brien talked about it again today.

05:24 So really, they had no choice, and I'm in favor of it,

05:29 you know, you get one more shot,

05:31 it's against a Raiders defense that they should be able

05:33 to have more success against, the first five weeks

05:36 they've gone against a lot of really good

05:40 pressure defenses that they couldn't block,

05:43 it shouldn't be as much of an issue with this game

05:45 outside of Max Crosby, but really,

05:47 he should be on a short leash, like, all right,

05:49 you get one more chance, all right,

05:52 and let's see what you do with it,

05:54 and Max also gotta earn back the trust

05:56 of his teammates as well.

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06:48 - I'm fine with him playing this weekend.

06:51 I think if you sit Mac down, it's done, right?

06:54 It's the end all, be all to me.

06:56 You can't sit him down.

06:57 I don't think you can sit him down

06:58 and then go back to him weeks later

07:00 and play this in and out game.

07:02 Like, once you make that call,

07:04 and once you sit your starting quarterback down

07:06 and say, "We don't trust you," it's over.

07:08 It's done-zo.

07:10 Don't have much of an issue with him playing this week.

07:12 You've got Buffalo and Miami after this weekend.

07:16 So the idea of playing Bailey Zappi

07:18 so Mac can get his head right

07:20 and then come back next week, what, against Buffalo?

07:22 Now, Buffalo has two or three starters down

07:24 for the rest of the year,

07:25 so that defense is going to be impacted by that.

07:27 But still, Buffalo is usually a boat race,

07:31 and then you got Miami, down in Miami.

07:33 You're gonna have Mac sit and come back

07:35 against those two division rivals.

07:36 You gotta try to get him right.

07:38 He's broken.

07:39 Everybody sees it.

07:41 He's broken.

07:43 He knows it.

07:44 Team knows it.

07:45 Coaching staff knows it.

07:45 I know it.

07:46 You know it.

07:47 The American people know it.

07:48 He's broken.

07:49 And this was the concern, Greg,

07:50 that the idea of not giving the quarterback enough.

07:56 Like, to me, there's a clear through line of all of this.

08:00 And I'm not trying to,

08:02 there's differences between excuses and reasons.

08:05 I've said it before, right?

08:06 An excuse is, I didn't get up for work in the morning

08:10 because I'm a lazy ass.

08:12 A reason is, I couldn't go into work today

08:15 'cause I have a fever and I feel like crap

08:17 and I'm gonna stay in for the day.

08:18 There are reasons why Mac Jones got to be broken.

08:22 No matter how you, even if you feel like, at best,

08:25 he's an average quarterback,

08:26 he's playing like the worst quarterback

08:28 in football right now.

08:29 Clear reasons why.

08:32 There's the through line.

08:33 Solid, hopeful rookie season.

08:39 The Matt Patricia, Joe Judge thing last year.

08:41 And then this debacle.

08:43 And if you watched him against Philly,

08:47 I remember posting on X at Nick C Radio,

08:51 if you wanna follow me,

08:52 posting on X that day.

08:54 Man, the pocket movement by Mac

08:57 has been tremendous in this game.

08:59 Go back and watch that Eagles game.

09:02 If you have it, if you have the ability to do it,

09:04 go back and watch that Eagles game

09:06 and see how many times Mac had to manipulate the pocket,

09:09 east, west, north, south, get away from pressure

09:13 and step up on the run and make throws.

09:16 And he did that for the first couple of weeks.

09:19 But inevitably, he's not that guy.

09:21 He can't do it 17 games a year.

09:24 He doesn't have that talent.

09:25 He doesn't have that skillset.

09:27 He's never had the skillset.

09:29 He's a scheme quarterback.

09:31 That's what he is.

09:33 You need to surround him and give him an offensive line.

09:35 So yeah, he's broken.

09:37 I think he got to the point of just being broken.

09:40 He doesn't trust, as Greg's saying,

09:42 the footwork's all off.

09:44 He's not seeing the field well.

09:46 He's a guy playing with nobody that he trusts.

09:50 And the one dude that he trusted in Jacoby Myers,

09:52 again, had a great game last night for Vegas.

09:55 This was inevitable, folks.

09:57 I'm sorry.

09:58 Unless you thought Mack Jones

10:01 was a truly special quarterback,

10:03 which I've never said, Greg's never said,

10:05 I haven't heard anybody say that he's a special quarterback,

10:08 unless you thought he was able to overcome all of this,

10:12 this was kind of the inevitable path.

10:14 Greg and I have been talking about it for a year and a half.

10:16 If you keep not setting this guy up to succeed,

10:19 he's going to break.

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