Raiders Opponent QB Spotlight: Mac Jones
The Las Vegas Raiders want to build momentum from a victory as they welcome the New England Patriots to Allegiant Stadium this Sunday.
The Patriots are not the dominant force in the NFL that they once were, coming into Week 6 with a 1-4 record, a minus-76 point differential, and the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense at only 11 points per game.
What is not helping the Patriots’ offense is the play of their quarterback, Mac Jones. He has struggled mightily this season, passing for 1,008 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Jones is coming from a rough game against the New Orleans Saints in which he completed only 54.6 percent of his passes for 110 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and lost a fumble.
Jones’ poor play this season has many Patriots fans calling for backup quarterback Bailey Zappe to replace him as the starter, but Coach Bill Belichick said Jones will remain in that position.
The Patriots selected Jones with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Alabama, hoping he would eventually become their franchise quarterback. Jones finished his Crimson Tide career sixth all-time in passing yards, fourth all-time in passing touchdowns, and was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2020.
Jones was named the starting quarterback in his rookie season over incumbent Cam Newton and helped lead the Patriots back to the postseason. He completed nearly 68 percent of his passes for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
In his three-year career as a starter, Jones carries a 17-19 record with 7,806 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions.
Jones is 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds and can throw an accurate deep ball and make anticipatory throws. He struggles under pressure, however, and has made bad decisions with the ball this season.
The Patriots hired Bill O’Brien again to be the offensive coordinator and fix some of the issues with Jones and their offense, but it has not worked out so far. The Patriots are the lowest-scoring team in the NFL, and Jones is on pace to have his worst statistical season to date.
The Raiders play the Patriots at the right time, a time in which their offense cannot get anything going, and the Raiders’ defense is playing at a high level. The Raiders have a great chance to stifle New England and win their second straight game against a struggling quarterback.
The Silver and Black will stay home at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas next week to play the New England Patriots on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT.
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