The New England Patriots and their rookie quarterback, Mac Jones, faced heavy criticism from the national media following Sunday’s disappointing 38-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Jones had one of the toughest outings of his NFL career, completing just 12 of 21 pass attempts for 150 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions. To make matters worse, two of those turnovers resulted in touchdowns for the Cowboys’ defense during the second quarter.
Rex Ryan, the former head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, now an ESPN analyst, didn’t hold back his critique of Jones. He emphasized what he saw as Jones lacking significant arm talent compared to other starting quarterbacks in the league. Ryan expressed doubt about Jones’ ability to lead the team to success, particularly noting his struggles with throws outside the numbers and the lack of power in his passes.
“The guy doesn’t have a whole lot of arm talent. I’ve said it from the jump, Maybe the weakest arm of all starting quarterbacks in the league. I don’t hate. I’m telling you based on all the years I’ve (coached) against everybody, I would have loved to defend against this guy. To think this guy is gonna take you to where you want to go, you’re absolutely crazy”. :Ryan said on ESPN show Get Up.
Rex Ryan went off on Mac Jones 😳
"Maybe the weakest arm for all starting quarterbacks in the league. … To think this guy is going to take you to where you want to go, you're absolutely crazy." pic.twitter.com/K71usCNiP3
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 2, 2023
Ryan did acknowledge that accuracy and anticipation could compensate for arm strength, citing the example of Drew Brees, who was known for his precision despite not having a powerful arm.
Despite the criticism, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick confirmed that Jones would remain the starting quarterback for Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints. This decision was not surprising, as the alternatives, including backup Bailey Zappe and third-stringer Will Grier, don’t appear to be better options.
Many believe that Jones is a more talented quarterback than his performance against the Cowboys indicated. The responsibility now falls on the coaching staff, particularly offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, to address the issues and work on improving Jones’ game.
