Mac Jones is back and looks good again
Mac Jones could not claw the New England Patriots to victory in a 25-20 loss to the Eagles on Sunday but showed nerves of steel following an ugly start.
Philadelphia took advantage of two Patriots turnovers to build a 16-0 lead after the first quarter, but Jones nearly led New England to a comeback win.
Mac Jones threw the ball 54 times, given the fact the Patriots were down early, for 316 yards, three touchdowns and a first quarter pick-six.
Last season with offensive coordinator Matt Patricia, the offense was 17th in scoring. So much negativity surrounded the team last season as it missed the playoffs largely because of the offense.
But it seems that the Patriots are committed to trusting their quarterback and his arm, unlike last year. No. 10 played his best game of football since his rookie season on Sunday.
Jalen Hurts' opening drive led to a field goal and bled almost seven-and-a-half minutes off the clock. Then Jones threw the ball into the hands of Darius Slay, who housed the interception 70 yards for a 10-0 lead with 4:56 left in the first quarter. And the Eagles converted an Ezekiel Elliott fumble into Hurts' 5-yard TD pass to DeVonta Smith four plays and 26 yards later for a 16-0 lead with 2:39 remaining.
After a merry-go-round of punts in the second quarter, the Patriots offense finally arrived. A 71-yard drive resulted in a Hunter Henry touchdown with 4:48 until halftime. After Belichick's defense forced a punt, Mac Jones took full advantage. A drive in the dying embers of the second half ended with Kendrick Bourne open in the end zone to get New England within 16-14 at halftime.
The second half was similar to the first, and the Patriots did all their work in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia got three field goals to take a 25-14 lead with 5:33 left.
After Jones capped a 75-yard drive with an 11-yard TD toss to Kendrick Bourne, closing the deficit to 25-20 with 3:37 to play, the Patriots offense could not capitalize on a late Jalen Hurts fumble. New England got to the Philadelphia 20-yard line, and if rookie Kayshon Boutte adjusted his feet the Patriots may have won as the Patriots couldn't convert a fourth-and-11.
Mac Jones vs. Tua Tagovailoa could be a shootout next week
Quarterbacks Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa are intertwined given their connections as former Alabama Crimson Tide players.
Tagovailoa was impressive in the Dolphins' 36-34 win over the Los Angeles Chargers with 466 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Tyreek Hill was the most dominant player in Week 1 as he had 215 yards and two touchdowns receiving.
The Patriots edged a 23-20 win against Miami in January, and this game on Sunday is an early must-win in a competitive division. The New York Jets are going to be without Aaron Rodgers for the remainder of the season but have a stout defense. The Buffalo Bills have Josh Allen, who should bounce back from his Week 1 horror show. The Dolphins can score touchdowns in the blink of an eye.
Bill Belichick and his unit should have a tough time trying to find a way to stop Tyreek Hill. The Chargers run for over 200 yards against the Dolphins, so that could be a potential path to victory for the Patriots.