"Dude can play QB" - Tyrann Matthieu has high praise for Patriots QB Mac Jones
Mac Jones started 1-3 with the Patriots and seemingly everyone focused elsewhere, writing off the rookie in his first season. However, since then, the Patriots have rocketed to 6-4 and are starting to turn heads. NFL pundits are taking notice after the Patriots beat down the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. At the same time, other players in the league are taking notice.
Mac Jones is coming alive
Tyrann Matthieu, the starting safety for the Kansas City Chiefs, has come out in support of the quarterback. He says that people are knocking Jones because he's not a Mahomes-type player capable of making circus throws, but he's still able to perform in the NFL.
What Tyrann Mathieu says here about Mac Jones is so spot on: "He don’t throw side arm or run fast so people knocked him….. dude can play QB"
Couldn't have said it better. https://t.co/m6Vg7CiGjs
One could argue that Mac Jones is the first pocket quarterback in ages to make an impression in the NFL. Most new quarterbacks today are mobile. They can either scramble or throw while scrambling. Mac Jones has very limited mobility. He has rushed this season, but only as a last resort, and he doesn't look comfortable while doing it.
Through his first three games, Jones had thrown for two touchdowns and three interceptions. Since then, the quarterback has turned it up. Since Week 3, he's thrown for 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. He hasn't had a multi-interception game since. In total, Jones has thrown for 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Top-notch QB analyst from 🍯 🦡. Big fan of Mac Jones. twitter.com/mathieu_era/st…
Some are even saying that Mac Jones is as good now as Brady was in his first true season. In Brady's first season, the quarterback threw for 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Jones could easily beat that this season. Of course, to match Brady's first year as a starter, Jones will have to win the Super Bowl this season.
If he were to win the Super Bowl in his first season, he would be ahead of Brady's rookie year, as the quarterback from Michigan sat in 2000. The Patriots' remaining opponents in 2021 are the Falcons, Titans, Bills twice, Colts, Jaguars, and Dolphins.
The Patriots and Bills both have six wins. Therefore, the Patriots can steal the division from the Bills if they play them well near the end of the season. Even if they struggle against the Bills and defeat everyone else, they would have a shot at finishing ahead of the Bills, considering the difficulty of the other opponents.
However, if the Patriots can defeat the Bills and the Titans, the Patriots will have a great shot at the Super Bowl because those are arguably the toughest opponents that they will face in the playoffs.
Also, at 6-4, and after being 5-1 in their last six games, the Patriots are on pace to make a run at the number one seed in the AFC. There is a long way to go to catch up to the 8-2 Titans, but it is not impossible for a red-hot team like the Patriots. Since the Patriots play the Titans, they have a chance to earn the tie-breaker and knock the Titans down to their level.