Mac Jones had no interest in tooting his own horn after losing his NFL debut. But plenty of others were willing to do it for him.
The Patriots rookie quarterback completed 29 of 39 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown in New England's Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. His 74.4% completion rate was an NFL record for rookies attempting at least 25 passes in their first start, and he looked like a legitimate NFL QB against a tough Dolphins defense.
Curran: Jones' effort in debut dwarfs importance of Pats' loss
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Jones' performance drew solid praise from around the league Sunday, but NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah was even more impressed with the Alabama product Monday morning after watching Patriots-Dolphins film.
Jeremiah, who spent nine years as NFL scout with three different teams, found Jones' "conviction" in the passing game "very unique" for a first-year quarterback. That take is in line with what our Phil Perry observed: that Jones displayed poise under pressure and delivered the ball with authority even when feeling the heat from Dolphins blitzes.
The numbers back up Jones' ability to "play fast" out of the gate against an aggressive Miami defense, which is a great sign for the Patriots going forward.
Jones was far from perfect in his NFL debut, looking lost on his first pass attempt of the game and missing Jakobi Meyers on a key third down. But the 23-year-old has already proved to at least one NFL analyst that New England has something special in its No. 15 pick.
