Mac Jones is still the favorite to win the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Yea award, but the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback has hit a snag the last few weeks. Starting with a Week 13 game against the Buffalo Bills that saw him only attempt three passes, he has completed only 52.5 percent of his passes for 463 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions.
As a result, one prominent analyst has altered his grade for Jones: former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, appearing on Inside the NFL, would now give the first-round pick a B+ instead of an A-.
“I’ve got to give Mac a B+. These last two weeks, he could have been an A- if he continued that same play,” Edelman said (via CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan).
“We’ve seen him be a very efficient quarterback. You see him get through his progressions. You can see him drive a team down the field. But these last two weeks, you can tell that the rookie wall may have hit. The rookie wall is real. He’s had two games with two picks back-to-back. It will be interesting to see how he goes forward and to see really what he’s made of.”
Jones will have a prime opportunity to bounce back in Week 17, however. The Patriots’ opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars, field one of the worst pass defenses in football and have registered only six interceptions all year long.