With the Patriots currently the second seed in the conference at 8-4, quarterback Mac Jones has emerged as the frontrunner for offensive rookie of the year.
Through 12 games, he’s completed 70.3 percent of his passes for 2,850 yards with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His 97.1 passer rating is 14th in the league, easily besting his fellow rookies Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Zach Wilson, who are 31st, 33rd, and 34th among qualified players, respectively.
“There’s a lot to be happy with and then there’s definitely things to coach and correct. … I’m still waiting for the perfect game,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said Tuesday, via Henry McKenna of USA TODAY. “I haven’t had that yet. … We are seeing growth in his ability to process the opponent.”
McDaniels also touted how Jones takes coaching, saying the quarterback is “a sponge,” comes to meetings prepared, and asks good questions.
“He’s a very good listener,” McDaniels said. “He’s in tune with what happened. He usually gives me very good feedback for what he saw, which is a great sign for a young player. If you say, hey did [a defensive back] rotate late? And he says, yeah, he rotated late. And then you look on the picture and you see that he did. So we always try to tell these young guys don’t make something up. If you’re not sure, just [say] I’m not sure. But he usually has a really good grasp of what happened on the series that he was just out there for. We have good dialogue about it and he has good answers to any questions that I have.”
The Patriots have won their last six games and seven out of their last eight. Jones and the Patriots will have a significant test on Monday night when they play the Bills.