Mr. Clean: Patriots Mac Jones an Elite Pocket Passer?

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones struggled in 2022 with new offensive coordinator Matt Patricia, but an advanced stat shows he still has a lot of potential.

Last season didn't go the way many hoped for the New England Patriots and Mac Jones.

The quarterback endured an adversity-filled second year in the league after a promising rookie season. Now entering his third year, it seems crucial that new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien can get the most out of the former first-round pick. 

In a recent episode of the Next Pats Podcast, Cynthia Frelund of NFL Network joined host Phil Perry to discuss an advanced stat that should restore confidence in the Patriots' future at quarterback.

The podcast points out that - when not pressured in the pocket - Jones remains an elite passer.

"About 71 percent of his drop-backs were not pressured. ... 246 attempts," Perry said. "He has a completion percentage of 71.7 and 11 touchdowns against just three picks from a clean pocket."

As for where this ranks the former No. 15 overall pick, Perry added that Jones's Pro Football Focus grade with a clean pocket only trails Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, and Trevor Lawrence. 

So why is this important?

"The best you can do is what you can do from a clean pocket," Frelund explained. "Clean pocket, that, to me, is your ceiling."

It is when Jones is under pressure that things went downhill. According to PFF, when hurried he completed only 42 percent of his passes with eight interceptions and just three touchdowns.

Of the quarterbacks that took at least 100 drop-backs, Jones has the third-worst passing grade from PFF. This starkly contrasts his rookie year, when Jones had the eighth-highest passing grade when under pressure, thus begging the question of whether his struggles could come down to the play-calling and offensive system.

Bottom line: If Jones is going to be an elite quarterback for the Patriots, they've got to protect him in the pocket.

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