Mac Jones has experienced the dreaded sophomore slump in his second NFL season, and the New England Patriots quarterback may have identified one key issue during the team’s bye week.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Sunday that Jones spent New England’s Week 10 bye doing a “full audit on himself.” One area that the former first-round pick closely examined was the timing of his dropbacks. Jones realized that his receivers often had not yet come out of their breaks when he had finished his drops, which was an indication that he has been dropping back in the pocket too quickly.
Here’s more:
From @NFLGameDay: #Patriots QB Mac Jones spent his bye week focusing on syncing up his drops with his WRs. It was all mental and all about timing. pic.twitter.com/znrTQyxHK0
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 20, 2022
Rapoport also noted that Jones finally feels 100 percent recovered from the ankle sprain he suffered earlier in the season. That could have a positive impact on his play going forward.
Jones led the Patriots to the playoffs last year in his impressive rookie season. He has taken a step back this year despite numerous flattering reports about his preparation during the offseason. Jones has thrown for 1,140 yards, 4 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in 6 games.
New England is 5-4 and still very much in the postseason hunt, but Jones needs to play better. He seems to be well aware of that.
