This Change Helped Mac Jones Become ‘Way Better’ QB, Defender Says

Adrian Phillips has witnessed the full trajectory of Mac Jones’ Patriots career, from rookie standout to beleaguered sophomore to, both hope, resurgent star in Year 3.

The veteran safety knows Jones did not play to his potential last season, when the quarterback and the entire offense around him regressed under the unsteady hand of Matt Patricia.

The Jones he sees now is different. He’s re-energized, confident, aggressive, constantly doing all he can to win practice reps against a New England defense that should be one of the NFL’s best.

“I’ve seen him grow and change a lot,” Phillips said after Tuesday’s Patriots practice. “I don’t want to give too much detail into it just because I don’t want to give up his little tidbits. But I just think overall, he’s a way better quarterback.”

“He’s coming out here every single day, and he’s trying to light our defense up — like, literally light us up.”

Adrian Phillips on Mac Jones

The move from Patricia to Bill O’Brien was a godsend for Jones, who appreciates both his new offensive coordinator’s scheme and his coaching style. The Patriots’ offense has looked far more capable and adaptable since O’Brien’s arrival, and Jones appears poised for a bounce-back campaign.

“He took last year on the chin,” Phillips said. “He’d be the first one to tell you that that’s not the way he wanted to play, and for all of us, that’s not how any of us wanted to play. But he’ll be the first to tell you that, and he’s coming out here every single day and he’s trying to light our defense up — like, literally light us up. I’m talking bombs, anything that he can do, and you just love to see that.

“He’s always checking the play. He’s always ready to give you something that you have to think about. I just think his confidence is through the roof right now.”

Jones sidestepped Phillips’ praise, but he did reveal one change he made this offseason that’s helped him improve as a player. He now seeks more input from the defenders he plays against in practice and incorporates their feedback into his game.

“Obviously, we haven’t even played a game yet, so I don’t know if that’s true or not,” Jones said. “With AP, one of the things he’s been helping me with is asking questions. Talking to him when we are going against them and asking him questions like, ‘Hey, what did I do there?’ He’s like, ‘Hey, good job looking me off on that man-to-man coverage,’ or whatever. Then try to take that from the practice field to the game field and use those tools that I have.”

What kind of questions?

“Just little things like, ‘Hey, did that work that time?’ ” he added. “Sometimes they say it really didn’t work, whether it was the play or the head fake or whatever. Those are all things you have to add to your toolbox, and that’s what practice is all about. It’s about trying new things, trying throws that you maybe wouldn’t throw in a game.”

Jones got his first dry run in O’Brien’s offense on Saturday night, playing three series in a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. His top offense showed clear signs of improvement over last season, though the health and depth of the Patriots’ O-line remain major question marks. Jones found success on run-pass options (RPOs), a staple of his and O’Brien’s respective offenses at Alabama, and the third-year QB held up well against pressure after struggling in those situations in 2022.

The Patriots will close out their exhibition slate this Friday night at Tennessee before opening the regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 10.