The 5 most intriguing matchups facing Pats Mac Jones in 2021
With Mac Jones at the helm, instead of veteran Cam Newton, who was sent packing nearly a week ago, some of the regular season storylines and narratives have changed.
For starters, the Patriots rookie quarterback will be experiencing a lot of firsts as he navigates through the 17-game schedule.
As it is, all eyes are going to be on Jones, simply because he’s the 15th overall pick, and brings so much promise to the most important position on the football field.
The hype meter is already on overdrive, especially for the Week 4 matchup with Tom Brady, who is returning to Foxboro for the first time since leaving New England.
But there are plenty of other games on the schedule that will whet the football appetite, some more than others. So which games should trigger the most interest during Jones’ rookie campaign?
In our view, here’s the
5 most intriguing
Mac matchups, saving the best for last.
5 Jacksonville Jaguars Week 17
The storyline: Clash of rookie QBs
The venue: Gillette Stadium
Intrigue factor: Trevor Lawrence was the first overall pick in the 2021 draft, while Jones was taken 15th overall. Both hail from major college football powers and led their respective schools to national championships, Lawrence with Clemson in 2018, Jones with Alabama in 2020.
Both are trying to make a good first-year impression. And by the end of the season, Jones and Lawrence will have gotten most of the kinks out.
That means both should be playing at a high level when Week 17 rolls around, so it will be interesting to compare and contrast the two.
Moreover, this game is sandwiched between two significant AFC East games for the Patriots, with the Bills the week before, and the Dolphins the week after.
Forget about it being a trap game, at this point, the Pats might need every win they can muster to make it into the postseason. The AFC South Jaguars count as a conference game, meaning it could be part of the playoff tiebreaker.
Beyond that, Jones was born and raised in Jacksonville. He attended prep school there and had an opportunity to see the Jaguars up close. So winning might have extra meaning for the Patriots rookie.
4
New York Jets Week 2
The storyline: Jones’ first road game
The venue: MetLife Stadium
Intrigue factor: This will be Jones’ first regular season experience in a truly hostile environment. It will be interesting to see how well he blocks out Fireman Ed & Co. Beyond that, how will he look, right out of the gate, compared to Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick and Jones’ classmate in the 2021 draft?
It’ll certainly be billed as Zach versus Mac.
On the one hand, the Jets wunderkind enters the season with little pressure. No one expects him to win on a team that’s rebuilding. Jones?
Just the opposite. He’s at the helm of a team that’s expected to make a playoff push, with Bill Belichick spending close to $160 million in guarantees over the first nine days of free agency.
Jones needs to be that rare rookie who has success his first year. And after tackling all the exotic schemes Brian Flores throws at him in the season opener, it won’t get any easier handling Robert Saleh’s defense.
3
Buffalo Bills Week 13
The storyline: Measuring-stick game
The venue: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park Intrigue factor: Jones will certainly be tested in his first Monday Night Football game at the home of the defending AFC champions.
There’s nothing quite like a December game in Buffalo.
And the feeling with the Bills mafia is their team has a significant advantage over the rest of the AFC East teams because of their quarterback. That’s really not a stretch. At this point, $200 million man Josh Allen is better than the rest.
The Patriots enjoyed that edge when Tom Brady resided in Foxboro. But with him gone, the Bills would like to think they’re going to stay atop the mountain because they have Allen, who enjoyed a breakout year in 2020 (4,544 yards, 37 TDs on 69.2% completions).
Will Jones ultimately prove a worthy foe, and foil that plan? How will he measure up to Allen? This could be the first of many meaningful bouts with the Buffalo QB.
2
Miami Dolphins Week 1
The storyline: Jones’ regular season debut. The venue: Gillette Stadium Intrigue factor: This matchup pits two former Alabama national champion quarterbacks with Jones squaring off against Tua Tagovailoa in the season opener.
Beyond the battle of Crimson Tide alums, all eyes will be on Jones in his first regular season start. What will the offense look like? How will the Jones era start?
While Tagovailoa wasn’t the starter in Week 1 last year, he did start against the Patriots Week 15 in Miami, and earned the distinction of being one of the few rookies to take down a Bill Belichick-coached team.
In a similar way, Jones will have his hands full handling all that Brian Flores, coincidentally Belichick’s former protege, plans on throwing at him.
Flores and the Dolphins won’t take the rookie lightly.
“I met Mac Jones at the Senior Bowl. I have a great deal of respect for him,” Flores said. “If he’s earned the respect of Bill Belichick and [Patriots offensive coordinator] Josh McDaniels, then he has my respect. Very good college player. Did a lot of great things there.”
1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 4
The storyline: The GOAT vs.
The Next One.
The venue: Gillette Stadium
Intrigue factor: In just about every instance, a rookie quarterback’s debut would hold the most intrigue in Patriot
Nation, especially for a first-round pick who is expected to be the future of one of the NFL’s most decorated franchises.
But in this case, the Week 1 Miami game for Jones doesn’t hold a candle to the Week 4 bout with Tom Brady and Tampa Bay. It’s not even close.
Before Jones even entered the picture with the Patriots, this game was circled on every calendar in New England and beyond.
It’s hard to get much bigger than Brady’s maiden voyage back to Gillette Stadium in an opposing uniform, a year removed from two decades worth of winning championships with the Patriots.
It was must-see viewing when it was just Brady. Adding heir apparent Jones to the mix sends the curiosity meter into orbit. How will the kid stack up against the legend?
There’s a mere 21-year age difference between the 44-year-old Brady, and the 23-year-old Jones which is mind-blowing in itself.
It’s also a Sunday night game. It’s the first primetime NFL game for Jones, whose drop-back style has been compared to Brady. So even more intrigue.
The ratings will be off the charts for this one.