Mac Jones made a statement with his performance in Sunday's 45-7 win over the Cleveland Browns.
The New England Patriots rookie quarterback tossed three touchdown passes -- the most of his young career so far -- and made a handful of spectacular throws in the blowout. The impressive showing added to his Offensive Rookie of the Year case as he continues to be the best first-round QB of those selected in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Curran: Mac Jones is real, and he's spectacular
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SIGN UP HERE Did Jones show Sunday that his ceiling could be even higher than we anticipated when the Patriots drafted him 15th overall? Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry discussed on a new episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast.
Patriots Talk Podcast: How a Patriots defensive tweak set stage for Mac Jones’ attack | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
Perry believes it might be time to adjust expectations for Jones after comparing him to a pair of middle-of-the-road QBs before the NFL Draft.
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"If this is his floor, we're going to get in trouble with some of the comparisons we're gonna make in terms of talking about his ceiling," Perry said. "We've tried to be reasonable about what the expectations should be for Mac Jones. What I've said, really since before the draft, was one of the reasons you should take a shot on him is because he could be Derek Carr. He could be Kirk Cousins. ...
"Those comps, after Sunday, if he can continue to play the way he did, I was low on that. And he might not get to Derek Carr and Kirk Cousins while he's halfway through his rookie contract, he might get there by the end of Year 1."
So what exactly could be Jones' ceiling? Without getting too carried away, Perry and Curran couldn't help but bring up the name of -- you guessed it -- Tom Brady.
Also discussed in this episode: Have the Patriots proven they are a legit contender? What did the Patriots’ defense do to shut down the Browns offense? It’s time to stop waiting for Mac Jones to turn into a pumpkin. And who deserves more credit, Jones or the Patriots’ system?
Check out the latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network, or watch on YouTube.