Monday night will mark undoubtedly the toughest test of Mac Jones' young NFL career to date.
But despite the daunting challenge and all that's at stake in the Patriots-Bills primetime tilt, Stephen A. Smith doesn't sound worried at all about New England's rookie quarterback.
Hours before the division rivals kicked off at Highmark Stadium, Smith was asked which quarterback he trusts more for the Week 13 finale: Jones or Josh Allen? The "First Take" co-host opted for the 23-year-old, but not because he thinks Jones is better than his counterpart.
"Mac Jones, this is a brother, what is he doing here? Completing 70% of his passes as a rookie? Not making mistakes, OK?" Smith said on ESPN. "I'm seeing Nelson Agholor looking like he got a pulse. I'm seeing (Kendrick) Bourne balling. I'm looking at their running game, it's stout. Their defense is real. I think that Mac Jones is going to be put in a situation where he's able to say, 'OK, just play your game, minimize the mistakes. Let's run our offense.' Josh Allen is going to be asked to save the day and with Tre'Davious White gone -- with him being down with the ACL injury -- you got a problem.
"See, New England don't have that problem. So, as a result, Josh Allen's almost by default. I'm not trying to imply that Mac Jones at this point is better than Josh Allen. I'm saying that the defense that Josh Allen has to go against is entirely different than what Mac Jones has to face. The supporting cast that Mac Jones has available to him I think is an upgrade from Buffalo."
Smith's take definitely is debatable. Allen has a legitimate No. 1 option at his disposal while Jones does not, and the Bills will have the luxury of home-field advantage Monday night. And like Buffalo, New England probably will be without a very important member of its secondary.
Furthermore, Allen has proven he's capable of winning games for the Bills and not merely being a bystander. Jones has yet to showcase as much, and that task very well could present itself in one of the league's most hostile environments, no less.
This isn't to say the Patriots and their fans should be concerned about Jones. But the optimism probably should be tempered.
