Mac Jones has looked solid through two weeks as the Patriots’ starting quarterback, piloting the team to its first win over the Jets on Sunday.
But Jones hasn’t necessarily lit it up, passing for 186 yards in Week Two after netting 281 against the Dolphins in Week One. In all, Jones has completed 74 percent of his passes, but is averaging just 6.8 yards per attempt.
Still, the Patriots don’t necessarily have training wheels on the offense for the rookie passer.
“I trust him completely,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said Tuesday, via Zack Cox of NESN. “Believe me, there’s not a whole lot we’re holding back for him.”
McDaniels noted that there’s a balance in wanting to attack all areas of the field while also not forcing the ball where it doesn’t need to go. And game situations play a role in that. It makes sense for the Patriots that in a game where opposing quarterback Zach Wilson threw four interceptions, New England didn’t need to go bombs away to put points on the board.
Also, McDaniels said, play calls, pass protection, and route running all factor into whether or not the quarterback should take a deep shot.
“So I think there’s a lot of things that go into that,” McDaniels said. “You want to be able to test those areas of the field as you move forward, but I also want him to make smart decisions, I want him to protect the football, and I want him to be aggressive when it’s time to be aggressive.
“It’s not like he’s not [throwing downfield] … It’s just there’s certain times when it’s the right time to do it and certain times where it’s not. And I’ve got to continue to work hard myself to try to provide our offense with opportunities to do that if it presents itself.”
Jones himself said on Monday that he feels like he’s sticking to his rules and taking what the defense is giving him. If that continues to lead to wins, McDaniels and head coach Bill Belichick will be happy with the results.
