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The New England Patriots didn’t walk away with a win in their season opener against the Miami Dolphins, but they showed some flashes of potential at different points in the game.
Rookie quarterback Mac Jones, the 15th overall pick in 2021, saw his first NFL action and looked ready to handle the task at hand.
The 15th pick in this year’s draft completed 73% of his passes in his regular season debut, totaling 281 yards and one touchdown. While he did leave a couple of key passes just a bit off, like on the third-down attempt to Jakobi Meyers early in the fourth quarter, he still hit a good amount of his receivers in the hands. His debut was promising, even if it wasn’t spectacular.
Dolphins get lucky with a Jakobi Meyers drop. FG unit comes out for NE. Dolphins up 17-16 pic.twitter.com/U7xEvaHz31
— FinCuts (@FinCuts) September 12, 2021
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Jones’ poise and decision-making shined in this game, as he was able to make quick reads and hit a lot of his targets in stride. On his first career touchdown pass, there was pressure coming right up the middle, and he was still able to stand in and complete the pass to Nelson Agholor.
Here’s Mac Jones’ (and Nelson Agholor’s) first touchdown as a Patriot. pic.twitter.com/kJ7eRVJpGR
— Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis) September 12, 2021
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While I won’t compare him to another great quarterback in Patriots’ history, they do seem to share the trait of willingness to spread the ball around, as eight different players recorded a reception from the rookie.
Arguably the most impressive throw of the night was the loft on the wheel route to James White down the right sideline. The play has been a staple in the Patriots’ system for years.
LOOK AT MAC JONES DROP THIS BEAUTY INTO JAMES WHITE!
GORGEOUS! #Patriots | #ForeverNE| #MIAvsNE pic.twitter.com/lHn8Yz6VMN
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) September 12, 2021
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While Jones didn’t record any interceptions, his first dropback resulted in a fumble, as he threw the ball behind him trying to avoid taking a sack. The ball was recovered by Miami, and it may not have resulted in points, but that is clearly a rookie mistake that needs to be cleaned up.
At the end of the day, Jones’ debut was solid despite not getting the win. He looked like a competent NFL quarterback, which is all you can really ask of him in Week 1.