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Did Mac Jones and the New England Patriots offense peak too early?

Atlanta, Georgia, USA; NFL New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) passes the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots selecting Mac Jones with the 15th overall pick — as the fifth quarterback off the board — appears to be one of the 2021 NFL Draft‘s best values. 


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Jones’ 78.9 PFF grade through 16 weeks ranks 13th among 32 qualifying quarterbacks. Justin Fields leads all other rookies at the position with a 64.2 PFF grade that ranks just 25th among qualifiers.

Despite that early success, there are reasons for concern in New England that Jones and the offense may have peaked too early.

Weeks Jones PFF grade Rank at QB
Weeks 1-11 86.9 4th/32
Weeks 12-16 52.9 28th/32

This is a small sample that was made even smaller by the conditions that led to Jones’ three-attempt outing against the Buffalo Bills in Week 13, but it does highlight a concerning decline in play, particularly following consecutive losses to potential playoff opponents.

Granted, New England’s offense hasn’t had any soft matchups over that five-week stretch. 

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