New England Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones drew rave reviews after his preseason debut against the Washington Football Team.
When Mac Jones fell to the Patriots at No. 15 in the 2021 NFL Draft, it looked like a match made in heaven. Then the wait to see him in action began.
Finally, New England fans got to see their rookie take the field in Foxborough and they couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about his debut.
Sporting the No. 10 jersey, Jones took the field to a standing ovation from the Patriots faithful.
The hype opened with a first career pass and completion for a first down.
And it only increased from there.
Jones stood in against pressure and still threw darts.
Even his incompletions were highlights
Basically, the football world agreed that Jones doesn’t stink. Far from it, in fact. The former Alabama passer might actually be pretty good.
Jones finished with 87 yards on 13-of-20 passing across five series against the Washington Football Team. He’ll have to wait for his first touchdown pass after leading two field goal drives.
Mac Jones exceeded expectations in his Patriots debut but let’s not overreact
Before everyone gets ahead of themselves, Old Takes Exposed did a public service by compiling tweets about another Patriots quarterback’s preseason debut.
Ryan Mallett completed one pass as a Patriot. In total, he started eight games in his career for the Texans and Ravens with a 3-5 record. He completed 55.1 percent of his passes and threw 10 interceptions to nine touchdowns.
That’s not to say Jones will have the same fate. It’s just important to remember that the preseason isn’t everything.
Jones has a long way to go before he wins the Patriots’ starting job and sees real action during the regular season.