The Patriots left Buffalo with a win last Monday night, but the Week 13 contest arguably was a win for Mac Jones doubters.
Jones wasn't asked to do much at Highmark Stadium, to say the least. The rookie quarterback only attempted three passes in New England's hard-fought victory over its longtime AFC East rival. For those who still aren't sold on the Alabama product, the divisional battle was another example that Jones is merely a passenger on this 2021 Patriots team.
Mike Lombardi has no time for that argument, however. The former NFL executive went to bat for the 23-year-old Friday during an appearance on "Merloni & Fauria."
"Mac Jones is such a polarizing character because of the draft," Lombardi said, as transcribed by WEEI. "Nobody wants to give the kid credit for being good. The kid is really good. They didn't want to give him credit when he was good at Alabama. They didn't want to give him credit when every Alabama player said he was better than Tua (Tagovailoa). They didn't want to give him credit when he's won six games on the road. To me, that game had nothing to do with Mac Jones, it had everything to do with how do we win the game.
"The No. 1 thing they are going to do when they talk about the game is: how do we avoid losing? Well, they avoided losing. If they had to throw the ball, I am pretty confident Mac Jones would have been able to throw the ball very effectively. But, they didn’t have to. They out-gained the Buffalo Bills with a MVP candidate at quarterback throwing the ball.
"What more does Mac Jones have to do? I don't understand why people keep questioning this. The kid is really good, can we just leave him alone? I know Trey Lance is supposed to be the greatest quarterback in history of football, and Kyle (Shanahan) traded up to get Trey Lance. Mac Jones is better than him. These analytical people need to stop. At some point recognize the guy is a good player."
Lombardi's wish for proper Jones recognition likely will be granted in the coming months. Barring the unexpected over the final four weeks of the regular season, the Patriots signal-caller is bound to add an Offensive Rookie of the Year award to his trophy case.
