It goes without saying that Mac Jones has been struggling, but Boomer Esiason is going to say it anyway.
The former 14-year veteran, four-time Pro Bowl quarterback and league MVP said it might be an internal issue for Patriots play-caller.
“It’s got to be mental. It can’t be physical. He can throw the ball fine,” Esiason said on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show. “The fact of the matter is you drop back — you practice this play in practice a thousand times. His receiver is wide open only 10 yards further down the field than where the defender is. To throw it right to the defender where he did is unexplainable. I don’t know what he’s thinking. I don’t know what he’s seeing.”
New England is now 2-8 following a 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Jones went 15-for-20 with 170 yards and one interception. It was his 10th INT of the season which leads the league.
Jones appeared to take accountability, however.
“It was a terrible throw,” Jones said after the game. (via Boston Sports Journal) The play resulted in him being benched and replaced by Bailey Zappe.
“It’s really hard out there in the NFL,” Jones said. “It’s really good defense. But there were a lot of open guys out there that I could have hit.
“I put a lot of work into it. I’ve got a lot of faith in myself. But there’s just things that I’ve got to get fixed, and just learn. Just keep learning and figure it out,” he added. “To make people believe, you’ve got to be better.”
“And I’ll tell you this, he had nightmares on the flight back,” Esiason continued. “There’s no way he could have slept without any sort of pharmaceutical help, I can tell you that, because that is a nightmare for all of us who have ever played that position. To do something like that at that point in the game and not be able to come back from it, and then get benched on top of it — that’s all you need to know about how the coach feels about you and how the entire fanbase probably feels this morning.”
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.