This offseason has been a whirlwind for New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. The 2021 first-round pick found himself involved in trade rumors as he reportedly had a falling out with head coach Bill Belichick.
Not being on the same page with Belichick is a quick way to find yourself leaving town. Mac Jones didn’t do himself any favors with his performance during the 2022 season, either, as he took a step back from his rookie season.
Some people wanted to see Bailey Zappe take the starting job from Mac Jones, which should light a fire under him. For now, he remains the Patriots’ starter, but he has one of the weakest holds on a job around the league.
What can we expect from the Alabama product this year? Here are three bold early predictions for Mac Jones in 2023.
3. Cuts Down On Turnovers
One of the biggest issues that Mac Jones had during the 2022 season was turnovers. He threw at least one interception in his first five starts of the season, throwing seven in total. That landed him in some hot water and rightfully so.
But, after that rough start, he was much better with ball security. Mac Jones threw only one interception in his next eight starts before imploding in Week 18 with the team’s playoff hopes on the line. He threw three interceptions against the Buffalo Bills to be officially eliminated.
A key to success in 2023 for Mac Jones and the Patriots is him not turning the ball over. He will record an interception percentage under 2.5 for the first time in his career and be in the single digits.
2. Builds Excellent Rapport With JuJu
This offseason the Patriots made some changes to the skill positions. Running back Damien Harris, wide receivers Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor, and tight end Jonnu Smith all departed in free agency or were traded this offseason.
Helping replace those departures are Mike Gesicki and James Robinson. The biggest addition this offseason would be wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster isn’t a prototypical No. 1 target but that is what he will be for Mac Jones this upcoming season.
It won’t take long for the two to get on the same page as Smith-Schuster will be targeted early and often. No receiver has surpassed 866 yards with Mac Jones under center, but that will change this year.
Smith-Schuster will become the first 1,000-yard receiver Jones has in his career while he sets a career-high with his first 4,000-passing-yard season.
1. Returns To The Postseason
2023 feels like a make-or-break season for Mac Jones. It could be his last chance to prove to Belichick that he can be the team’s starting quarterback heading into the future. Having Bill O’Brien as his offensive coordinator will certainly help get things back on track after the unorthodox decision to have Matt Patricia and Joe Judge leading the way in 2022.
With his back up against the wall, Mac Jones is going to help get the team back into the postseason. It will be the second trip to the playoffs in three years with him at the helm, doing enough for the Patriots to at least pick up his fifth-year option next offseason.
