'Believe!' New England Patriots' Mac Jones Remaining Confident?

The New England Patriots have struggled mightily this season, leading to a Week 4 benching of Mac Jones. Is the quarterback confident the offense can improve?

There are fully-grown New England Patriots fans who have never seen their team look as ugly as they did on Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys delivered the biggest loss of the Bill Belichick era.

As much as some may look at Week 4’s embarrassment as a turning point, the moment quarterback Mac Jones was finally relieved of his duties, that simply isn’t the case. Backup Bailey Zappe replaced Jones in the third quarter of the blowout loss but has returned to his post as second-string quarterback.

For now, it’s Jones’ show, for better or worse.

His struggles persisted past the hiring of offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and well into the 2023 season. Jones has thrown just five touchdowns to four interceptions this year, culminating in a humbling 44.7 quarterback rating—good for 26th in football and one spot ahead of New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson.

His Pro Football Focus grade ranks 25th amongst starters, and his expected points added per play ranks 27th. It isn’t pretty, and it has resulted in a 1-3 record for his Patriots.

On an appearance for WEEI, Jones faced questions about the confidence he has in himself, and that the team has in their starting quarterback.

“I think, for me, I just gotta go out there and win some games,” Jones said. “And that’s what it all comes down to … I’m working hard. I know I can do it. I have to believe in myself.”

New England plays the New Orleans Saints in Week 5 before a date with former Patriots coach Josh McDaniels’ Las Vegas Raiders and a divisional contest against the Buffalo Bills. It goes without saying that success in the next few weeks can make or break this season—and Jones’ tenure in New England.

Jones and Zappe during the 2022 season. Courtesy of Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

“I didn’t really give them a lot to believe in the other night,” Jones continued. “But I will show that I can do it. And that comes from hard work and trusting myself and trusting them.”

Even if he temporarily lost the trust of Belichick, it was made clear that Jones was going to get the chance to establish himself as the starter once again. Re-earning the trust of his teammates may be as important as the aforementioned confidence in himself. Jones was reckless with the ball on Sunday, throwing two brutal interceptions and fumbling away a third possession.

At least, it seems he still has the faith of the coaching staff.

O’Brien spoke on Tuesday about his quarterback.

“Mac is a battler,” O’Brien said. “He is a competitor … He takes a lot of ownership – you guys saw that, I think after the game. He blames himself. The game wasn’t lost because of one guy … We have a lot of belief in Mac.”

Maybe it’s “coach speak” or a desperate attempt to regain his quarterback’s confidence. Regardless, he needs to be proven correct, soon. Any further offensive stagnation could all but end New England’s season.

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