Mac Jones had a disastrous debut in the Jaguars’ devastating loss to the Bills
Patriots
Mac Jones was charged with a turnover in his third game on Monday night.
Mac Jones had a poor performance in Monday’s game between the Bills and Jaguars. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Mac Jones’ honeymoon phase with the Jaguars, his hometown, ended abruptly in Buffalo.
The former Patriots quarterback made his regular season debut with the Jags on Monday night. Jones replaced Trevor Lawrence for the final minutes of the game, in which the Jags lost by a clear 47-10 margin.
While Lawrence (21 of 38, 178 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) toiled all night in Buffalo, Jones didn’t fare much better when he was forced into action.
On just his third play of the night, Jones was pushed off by Javon Solomon as he dropped back to pass, and Buffalo’s Casey Toohill grabbed the ball at the Jaguars’ 21-yard line.
Just four plays later, Ray Davis found the end zone for the Bills, crowning the evening’s scoring drive.
Jones, replacing Lawrence, completed five of his eight passes for 22 yards, although one of those incomplete passes was a drop by Jaguars receiver Parker Washington in the end zone in the final minute of the game.
Still, it was anything but an encouraging start for Jones, who was traded from the Patriots to the Jags in March in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
While New England parted ways with Jones and signed Jacoby Brissett and rookie quarterback Drake Maye, Jones impressed from the start in Jacksonville’s preseason training camp, completing 38 of his 52 passes for 421 yards and three touchdowns.
At one point in August, Jones seemed a far cry from the lackluster quarterback who threw 24 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in his final two seasons in Foxborough.
But Jones’ mistake on Monday was a familiar sight for Patriots fans, who had seen the playmaker regularly lose the ball in crucial game situations in the past.
“Mac has played extremely well the last few weeks and has really bought into what we’re doing,” Jaguars head coach Dough Pederson told reporters in August. “He’ll still get into his Patriot ways every now and then and we have to remind him he’s in Jacksonville, but he’s done a good job.”
The Patriots could face Jones on the football field next month when New England faces the Jaguars in London on October 20.
However, a 26-year-old quarterback like Jones, who was selected to the Pro Bowl just a few years ago, could be an attractive target before the NFL’s trade deadline – especially for a team like the Dolphins that needs a playmaker.
With Tua Tagovailoa placed on the injured list due to another concussion in Week 2 and backup Skylar Thompson now hampered by a rib injury, third-string quarterback Tim Boyle is the Dolphins’ first choice on their roster this week.
During an appearance on PFT Live with Mike Florio last week, former Patriots safety Devin McCourty considered Jones as a possible trade candidate given the Dolphins’ injury problems.
Sign up for Patriots updates🏈
Get breaking news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox throughout the football season.
