Nobody will confuse Mac Jones for Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers (yet), but that doesn’t mean the Patriots rookie didn’t outperform those superstars in certain areas this season.
Just faced significant defensive pressure during his rookie campaign, particularly in the first half of the season. However, the 15th pick from the 2021 NFL Draft stayed poise and played winning football, which is all you can ask from a rookie quarterback.
In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, Jones, who finished the season as the website’s 11th-ranked QB, tied Rodgers for the fewest amount of turnover-worthy plays while under pressure. Jones and Rodgers both were better than Brady, and only were worse than Herbert.
Take a look:
Now, that stat comes with a few caveats. Jones, like his Hall-of-Fame-bound predecessor, often accepted sacks or checked down to running backs while facing pressure. Those kinds of decisions are staples of the turnover-averse Patriots offense.
Nevertheless, that the Alabama product was able to pass the test with such success is something he deserves significant credit for. Rookie quarterbacks often play a reckless brand of football, but such tendencies never crept into Jones’ game.
