Patriots QB reportedly impressing under new OC at minicamp

A strong showing during mandatory minicamp could indicate that Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is ready to rebound after an underwhelming season in 2022.

"Jones was 52-of-64 (81.3%) during competitive team drills in a pair of mini-camp practices," wrote Jeff Howe of The Athletic. "While that's not going to scale out to his regular-season completion percentage, past camp evaluations have shown an ideal rate to be around 75%, so Jones had an efficient stretch." 

It's only minicamp, but Jones' improvement might indicate the changes under new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien are working, which is an excellent sign for the Patriots.

"O'Brien and the Patriots' starting quarterback have hit it off since reacquainting in Foxboro, and Jones has looked much more comfortable running a familiar system," wrote Howe. 

O'Brien is using more concepts from his playbook at Alabama since Jones thrived in this system in college and is comfortable with it. The OC borrowing from a college offense seems like a rudimentary idea, but if it helps Jones capture the composure he displayed during his rookie season, it doesn't matter.

Jones impressed in 2021, making the Pro Bowl and leading the Patriots to the playoffs. In 2022, he went 6-8 as a starter, only threw 14 TDs and posted a below-average 36.1 QBR. 

Some of Jones' struggles fall on former offensive play caller Matt Patricia. The offense struggled under Patricia, falling from sixth in scoring in 2021 to 17th last season. 

Reviving the hapless unit starts with Jones finding a consistent groove. It's a good sign that Jones is progressing because it means O'Brien has created an environment where he can succeed, which could help New England return to the playoffs.