Mark Daniels: Here's what the Patriots must do to get Mac Jones back on track

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. Mac Jones deserved better. Mac Jones also needed to be better.

Both statements felt true following the disappointing conclusion of the Patriots 2022 season Sunday. Theres no sugar coating this past year other than calling it a collective failure from Bill Belichick when it comes to developing his second-year quarterback.

Jones doesnt get a free pass, but its hard to put all the failures of this years offense on the quarterbacks right arm. Sundays 35-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills was a good example. The defeat knocked the Patriots out of the playoffs with an ugly 8-9 record. It doesnt feel too long ago that the team won 10 games and went to the playoffs with a rookie quarterback. Enter your email address here to receive MassLive’s Patriots newsletter every Monday and Friday.
      

Jones performance in his final game as a second-year pro showed some improvement. He finished completing 65% of his passes (26 for 40) for 243 yards to go with a season-high three touchdown passes and three interceptions, two of which hit his intended targets in the hand and bounced to a Bills player.

It wasnt all bad for Jones. This season hasnt been all bad, but this season hasnt been nearly good enough. After finishing last season with 3,801 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, Jones looked like the Patriots future franchise quarterback

After finishing the 2022 season with 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, Jones didnt look like a future franchise quarterback. This season, he looked frustrated and at times, jittery in the pocket. His trademark accuracy wasnt always there.

This leaves the Patriots in quarterback purgatory. You could argue the Patriots should try and upgrade their quarterback position. I would argue that the Patriots need to do more to help Jones reach his potential.

This season, Belichick set his quarterback up to fail when he replaced Josh McDaniels with the likes of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. Those decisions ultimately led to a lost year for Jones and the Patriots franchise.

However, theres still hope. Heres an easy 3-step process the Patriots can follow to support their quarterback and get Jones back on track.Step 1: Hire an experienced offensive coordinator

Lets get this one out of the way.

It doesnt take a football genius to see that Belichick made a mistake with the way he handled losing Josh McDaniels. He went from having one of the most experienced offensive coordinators/quarterback coaches in the NFL to having the least experience with Patricia and Judge.

Patricia and Judge arent bad coaches, but they werent put in positions to succeed, either. Patricia should be coaching defense, where he won Super Bowl titles, and Judge should be coaching special teams, where he won Super Bowls.

The easiest fix here is for Belichick to hire former Patriots and current Alabama offensive coordinator Bill OBrien.

OBriens contract with Alabama has expired. He did a great job as the Patriots offensive play caller/quarterbacks coach when McDaniels left for Denver. Hes coming from Alabama, where Jones played. He also has a relationship with Jones as the quarterback helped OBrien learn the Alabama playbook.

It makes too much sense.

Now, if Belichick doesnt hire OBrien, he still needs to bring in someone else. Another option is former Patriots receivers coach Chad OShea. He has offensive coordinator experience with Miami in 2019.

The Patriots finished this season converting just 35.15% of their third downs. Thats the worst mark in New England dating back to 2007. The same goes for their NFL-worst red zone percentage of 41.46%. The Patriots were collectively disappointing on offense this season. Thats why Belichicks top priority is to revamp his coaching staff with an experienced offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.Step 2: Fix the tackle position

The Patriots opted to move Isaiah Wynn from left tackle to right tackle this season. That ended up being a disaster.

In the nine games he played, Wynn allowed five sacks and five holding penalties. His counterpart, Trent Brown, also had an inconsistent season as he dealt with an illness for several weeks. Brown came into Sundays game having allowed a team-high nine sacks.

The Patriots pass protection wasnt good enough in 2022.

Jones played in 13 games this season. He was sacked 33 times (7.6% of his drop backs). Last season, Jones was sacked 28 times (5.1% of his drop backs).

The problem on the Patriots offensive line wasnt the interior. Rookie left guard Cole Strange had some rookie moments, but all things considered, he showed to be a good athlete. Center David Andrews and right guard Michael Onwenu played like potential Pro Bowlers. All three return next season. Again, theyre not the problem.

The problem is the tackle position. Wynn is a free agent in March. Brown enters 2023 in the final year of his contract.

To fix this issue, the Patriots should spend money on a veteran tackle free agent and then draft a tackle in the 2023 NFL Draft. Truthfully, the Patriots should probably draft a tackle in the first round. They need that kind of talent to help Jones.

If the Patriots can protect Jones, it would go a long way to the quarterback having success next fall.Step 3: Get a Pro Bowl-caliber receiver

The Patriots tried to give Jones more weapons this season when they traded for receiver DeVante Parker and drafted receiver Tyquan Thornton in the second round. Those two return, along with Kendrick Bourne, in 2023.

The first thing the Patriots should do in free agency is re-sign Jakobi Meyers. The receiver finished this season with a team-high 804 receiving yards. This marks the third-straight year Meyers has led the Patriots in receiving.

Meyers isnt the problem. Hes part of the solution. However, the Patriots should look to acquire a legitimate No. 1 weapon for Jones to target.

Remember Tom Bradys last few Super Bowls in New England? Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski were big parts of those offenses. Gronk is a future Hall-of-Fame tight end. Edelman was one of the best receivers in the NFL. Jones needs some of that. The offense needs a playmaker that makes opposing defensive coordinators concerned going into each weekend. The type of player you need to game plan for.

This season, Rhamondre Stevenson and Meyers were by far the best two offensive weapons in New England. Can you imagine what this offense would be like if they had someone like DeAndre Hopkins? What about D.J. Moore? Or how about Davante Adams?

Considering Meyers and JuJu Smith-Schuster are the two best receiver free agents this offseason, the Patriots should look to trade for a veteran receiver. It makes sense to call the Arizona Cardinals about Hopkins, who Belichick adores. It cant hurt to check in with Carolina about Moore. Is Adams unhappy in Las Vegas? Might as well pick up the phone and see if hes available.

Adding a legitimate game changer on offense would only help Jones. Add in a legit offensive coordinator and a better offensive line, and there would be no excuses for Jones. It would put this third-year quarterback in a position to succeed unlike what happened this past season.