Mac Jones looks great again for the Patriots vs. Eagles

Mac Jones looked great once again for the New England Patriots as they took it to the Philadelphia Eagles in week two of preseason action.

The New England Patriots may discover as the preseason rolls along (if they haven’t already) that there are really no good reasons not to start Mac Jones to open the 2021 NFL season. The Patriots have seen their first-round quarterback go out and do pretty much exactly what everyone thought and hoped he could do coming out of Alabama.

Jones has been efficient for the Patriots through two preseason games, executing one long drive after another and making a lot of impressive throws.

Coming out of Alabama, there were undoubtedly some concerns about how Jones might translate to the NFL level in terms of how he graded on the athleticism scale compared to the other quarterbacks in the 2021 class and in classes that preceded it.

Of course, no one is mistaking Mac Jones for Kyler Murray anytime soon, but Jones proved throughout the course of his time at Alabama that he certainly has enough athleticism to do what will be asked of him at the NFL level when it comes to maneuvering in and outside the pocket.

He showed some of what he can do in that regard against the Eagles.

In the New England Patriots’ first two preseason games, Mac Jones has gone 13-of-19 passing in each game for a total of 26-of-38 through two games, and against the Eagles, his adjusted completion percentage for drops or spikes was just under 89 percent.

Regardless of the competition he’s going up against, Jones has gone out and proven to the New England Patriots that he is capable of running the offense well, and he’s also showing that what he did well at Alabama is what he’s going to continue to do well in the NFL.

Jones did a tremendous job of making throws with timing and anticipation as a member of the Crimson Tide, and he’s shown an ability to do that with the New England Patriots as well through just a couple of preseason performances.

Cam Newton also played well against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Patriots are under no obligation to move on from him immediately by any means.

If Mac Jones is playing well enough, however, why not make that move sooner than later?

The Patriots have never used a first-round pick on a quarterback in the Bill Belichick era until they used one on Mac Jones. Some prospects at the quarterback position require patience, but Jones was considered NFL-ready coming out of the Alabama program and he’s proven to be as-advertised so far.