Mac Jones' 2021 stats: Is Patriots QB's rookie season better than Tom Brady's?
Seemingly overnight, Mac Jones has gone from a "wait and see" rookie to one of the most talked-about players in the NFL community. Once part of the 1-3 Patriots, Jones is now leading the 6-4 team to the same level as the 6-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The comparisons between Belichick and Brady have leveled off for now and have been replaced by a comparison between the two quarterbacks.
Mac Jones' 2021 stats
Mac Jones started the season slow, like most rookies. Through three games, Jones threw for two touchdowns and three interceptions. Since then, he's thrown for 11 touchdowns and four interceptions, his most recent game of the season was his best yet. Against the Cleveland Browns, Jones threw for three touchdowns and no interceptions.
With Pro Bowl voting now open, Bucs' Tom Brady has a good shot to become first NFL player named to 15 Pro Bowls. He's currently tied for the most at 14, with Peyton Manning, Tony Gonzalez, Bruce Matthews and Merlin Olsen. He hasn't made the Pro Bowl since 2018.
In total, Mac Jones has thrown for 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions through ten games. Compared to Tom Brady, who has 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions, Jones has some growing to do to catch the all-star quarterback in his current form. However, let's not forget that even Brady was a rookie at one point, so how does Mac Jones' 2021 season compare to Brady's?
Tom Brady's rookie season stats
Tom Brady didn't start his rookie season. Therefore, Mac Jones already has a massive advantage in comparison. Brady, however, started his second season. Therefore, a comparison of that year to Mac Jones' rookie season makes more sense.
Analysts 4 weeks ago: “ Belichick didn’t know anything. It was all Tom Brady.”
Analysts now: “Mac Jones is only good because of Bill Belichick.”
Can’t they all be good?
In Brady's first year as a starter, the quarterback threw for 2843 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He went 11-3 that season. With four losses already under Mac Jones' belt, he cannot say he lost less than Brady. However, at 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions, he has a great chance to finish the season with better stats than Brady in his first year as a starter.
Of course, assuming Jones plays the rest of the schedule, he will have gotten 17 games compared to 14. However, simply matching Tom Brady's level counts for something. At the very least, it gives Jones a chance to repeat Brady's success under Bill Belichick. That said, in 20 years, this idea could illicit laughter, but so far, one cannot knock Mac Jones for what he's done so far in 2021.
In Brady's first season as a starter, it took him three games to take off as well. In fact, it took him three games to get his first touchdown pass. Mac Jones had a touchdown pass in his first game. If one wants to look at it at that level, they could say Jones is ahead of Brady. In the end, one can only wait and see if Jones can repeat his predecessor's success over the long haul.