Saturday night will mark a first for the Bill Belichick-coached New England Patriots.
The Patriots soon will play their first postseason game without Tom Brady since the 1998 season. Not only does New England no longer have the luxury of being quarterbacked by the greatest to play the position, but it will try to make do against the NFL’s best with a rookie under center.
Mac Jones certainly deserves praise for his performance to date and the fact that he was able to help lead the Patriots to the postseason. But history isn’t on the 23-year-old’s side, so it’s understandable why ESPN identified Jones as New England’s reason for concern entering the wild-card round.
“The Patriots no longer have Brady at quarterback, of course,” Mike Reiss wrote. “Instead, they have rookie Mac Jones. For most of the season, Jones played far beyond expectations in terms of his poise and accuracy. But his play during the latter stages of December were a reminder that he is a rookie. The Patriots limited him to three passes in a Week 13 victory over the Bills, and then Jones threw two interceptions apiece in losses to the Colts and Bills. Jones rebounded somewhat thereafter, but remember: The last rookie quarterback to win a playoff game was the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson in 2012.”
Fortunately for Jones, his first career playoff game will be against a very familiar foe. The Patriots and the Bills are set to meet for the third time this season, and the Alabama product already has a win in Buffalo under his belt.
