Mac Jones appears to be on the verge of losing his starting job in New England.
The Patriots’ offense has struggled in 2023, and the offensive woes continued in Week 5. Jones already has four interceptions against the Saints this year, and he increased his total against New Orleans early in the game.
Jones was picked off by Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu on third-and-6 with 7:11 left in the first quarter. When Jones attempted a pass, he was hit and the ball fell directly into the hands of a New Orleans defender, who returned it 27 yards for a touchdown.
.@saint Choose 6! 🚨 @Mathieu_Era And steal!
📺： #NOvsNE on cbs
📱: Live broadcast #NFLPlus https://t.co/LxW25sxPWA pic.twitter.com/ASK40UJKxL– NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2023
Although Jones was contacted on the pass attempt, there didn’t appear to be any open options in the area, leaving many scratching their heads over the quarterback’s decision. I went 8-of-15 for 72 yards and no touchdowns in the first half.
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New England has one of the worst offenses so far in 2023. Entering Week 5, the Patriots are averaging 13.8 points per game, third-worst in the league.
Jones didn’t do the team any favors, and after he was benched in favor of backup Bailey Zappe in Week 4, the seats underneath Jones were hot. The Patriots trailed 21-0 in the first half against the Saints, and there were plenty of boos from New England fans.
Mac Jones interception
The interception was bad enough. Draft six was even worse. But throwing the No. 6 pick at home is downright demoralizing, something that has become a trend early in Jones’ NFL career.
Mathieu’s interception was the fourth pick-six of Jones’ career at Gillette Stadium. This is his first time this season.
It’s unfair to compare most quarterbacks to the GOAT, but that’s bound to happen when it comes to New England. When Jones was drafted with the 15th overall pick in 2021, he was viewed as the organization’s next potential quarterback, replacing Tom Brady, who left for Tampa Bay a year ago.
Jones will never have a career that rivals Brady’s, but he doesn’t look like the answer going forward either. Given Jones’ disappointing performance, Brady ended his career as a Patriot with four pick-six picks at Gillette Stadium.
It took Brady 135 games to reach that total, and Jones tied that number in his 19th home game.
Mac Jones’ first-quarter interception was his fourth career pick-six at Gillette Stadium.
That’s as much as Tom Brady has put into Gillette his entire career. (Gillette Stadium opened in 2002) pic.twitter.com/NWrci5LO3i
—ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 8, 2023
The Patriots signal-caller’s touchdown-to-interception ratio has gotten worse since entering the league in 2021. He was picked off 13 times as a rookie, but found 22 touchdowns through the air. Last year, his interceptions dropped to 11, but his touchdowns also dropped to 14.
The Patriots quarterback threw five touchdowns against the Saints and threw four interceptions. After picking up the sixth pick in the first quarter, Jones was intercepted late in the game, increasing his 2023 total to six.
| season | intercept |
| 2021 | 13 |
| 2022 | eleven |
| 2023 | 6 |