Mike Tannenbaum apparently needs to see more from Mac Jones before he includes the Patriots rookie among the top half of the NFL’s starting quarterbacks.
Jones was solid in his NFL debut against the Dolphins, who edged out New England in Week 1. The 23-year-old nearly completed 75% of his passes despite throwing the ball almost 40 times and didn’t commit any turnovers. Jones’ 281 passing yards and first career touchdown put the Patriots in a position to secure a season-opening win.
Still, Tannenbaum has Jones as the league’s 19th-best quarterback entering Week 2. But the former NFL executive did give the Alabama product an honor of sorts following his showing against the ‘Fins.
“Rookie New England Patriots QB Mac Jones had one of the best throws of the week,” Tannebaum wrote for ESPN.com. “On a third-and-6 with just under seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, he hung in against a very good Dolphins pass rush and converted with a pass to Jakobi Meyers. Overall, Jones was 11-of-16 on third down in a very encouraging start for him.”
Jones should be able to make a case for promotion on Tannenbaum’s list Sunday when New England visits the lowly Jets. New York also will be trotting out a first-year signal-caller for the divisional clash: Zach Wilson, who’s 28th on Tannebaum’s latest ranking.
