Patriots QB Mac Jones expected to be on short leash Sunday vs. Raiders

Jones’ recent performances have been less than stellar, leading to his benching in the second half of back-to-back blowout losses.

In his previous two games, Jones has struggled, completing just 55.8% of his passes for a meager 130 yards, failing to throw any touchdowns, and throwing four interceptions. With a dismal passer rating of 35.0, this is the worst two-game stretch of his career. Additionally, the New England offense has seen 13 of their 25 drives end after three plays or fewer during this difficult period. To make matters worse, Jones currently ranks 31st in passer rating among the 33 qualified quarterbacks.

Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick has dismissed Jones’ recent struggles by implying that it was unnecessary to jeopardize Jones’ well-being in lopsided games.

Last week, Belichick was questioned about the possibility of making a quarterback change, to which he responded, “Yeah, we’re not making any changes.”

The offensive coordinator, Bill O’Brien, when asked about Jones’ status as the starter, expressed his confidence in him, saying, “I do.”

Both coaches acknowledged that there are underlying issues beyond just the quarterback. Injuries have made it challenging to field a competent offensive line, and the absence of receivers Demario Douglas and JuJu Smith-Schuster will also impact the team’s performance on Sunday.

However, Jones needs to step up his game as well.

“We’re out there playing a game that I love,” Jones expressed this week. “And right now, things aren’t looking too good. We need to find a way to turn things around, have fun on the field, sling the ball around, make plays, and celebrate together.”