It’s not a mystery why the Patriots went 8-9 and missed the playoffs. While they ranked eighth in total defense and 11th in scoring defense, the Patriots were only 26th in total offense and 17th in scoring offense.
Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon said there was never a division within the locker room and expressed faith in quarterback Mac Jones, whose 84.8 passer rating ranked 26th in the NFL.
“I think we’ve got a great deal of confidence in Mac,” Judon said Saturday, via NFL Media. “And we’re going to see, because we know what type of player he can be. We saw it at the collegiate level, high school level, and we saw it at a pro level. And so that’s what we need. He knows that. And we’re going to be backing him just as long as he’s our quarterback. As long as he’s on the team, we’re going to be backing him. And I don’t plan that he’s going anywhere anytime soon.”
Jones, a first-round choice in 2021, made the Pro Bowl and helped the Patriots to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. He regressed in 2022.
The Patriots, though, had Matt Patricia and Joe Judge running the offense in 2022. They recently hired Bill O’Brien to take over the offense for next season.
That has Judon optimistic about Jones, the offense and the future.
“Everybody can see we’re gonna be a damn good team,” he said.