Former Patriots Quarterback Weighs In On State Of New England’s Offense

There’s no denying that Patriots quarterback Mac Jones’ sophomore campaign was not as good as his rookie year. The question on everybody’s mind is whether or not the 24-year-old can have a bounce-back year for New England.

“(Mac Jones) is fundamentally and technically sound,” former Patriots quarterback Jim Miller said on WEEI’s “Gresh and Fauria” show. “Throwing the ball, I think his arm’s a lot stronger than what people give him credit for. He can get out of trouble when he needs to move his feet. He’s not the most athletic, but I think he can get out of harm’s way when he needs to.”

Miller who played one season for the Patriots in 2004, believes the hiring of Bill O’Brien is exactly what Jones and New England’s offense needs and was lacking last season.

“The hiring of Bill O’Brien is going to make all the difference in the world,” Miller said. “I talked to Bill and he said there’s probably eight or nine things that he’s going to incorporate into the Patriots offense that he thinks really can salvage just how bad they played last year.

In his first year with New England, Jones completed 352 of his 521 pass attempts for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns for a completion rate of 67.6% and the Patriots finished 10-7. However, in his second year, the 6-foot-3 signal caller dropped to 65.2%, completing 288 of 442 pass attempts for 2,997 yards and 14 touchdowns. New England finished 6-8 on the season and missed the playoffs.

“The year prior Mac Jones had a solid year offensively and went to the Pro Bowl and they were a playoff team,” Miller said. “And then they took a step back and I think we all know the reasons why.

“But they’ve got a legitimate play caller who knows how to identify things and let’s face it, Bill O’Brien won three AFC South titles. He’s not just some coach that doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s a very good play caller.”

Miller added he doesn’t think head coach Bill Belichick should be on the hot seat this and is still one of the best coaches in NFL history.

“He’s already won without Tom Brady,” Miller said. “People forget again that rookie year of Mac Jones, it wasn’t a mirage. They made the playoffs. So I think Bill is who he is and he’s one of the greatest of all time.”