What Julian Edelman Still Needs To See From Unproven Mac Jones

There’s been a common late-game theme in Patriots games ever since Tom Brady departed Foxboro, Mass.

More often than not, New England has played from behind or battled in tightly contested contests since Mac Jones took over behind center. And far too often in those games, the Patriots came so close to pulling out a win but found a way to get saddled with a loss.

In Julian Edelman’s era with New England, consistently coming out on top in those situations was one of the things that separated the Patriots from the rest of the pack. And it’s what the retired wide receiver wants to see from Jones as the 2021 first-rounder tries to solidify himself as New England’s franchise quarterback for the long haul.

“He looks to be improved from last year, but you still need to be able to see him make some plays in some dire-need situations,” told the New York Post’s Steve Serby. “I expect him to continually to get better at that.”

There’s a good chance Jones will be tasked with pushing the Patriots over the top Sunday, as the Jets boast one of the NFL’s better defenses. And if the 25-year-old has a big hand in a Week 3 win at MetLife Stadium. it will provide New England with much-needed optimism after back-to-back losses to start the season.