The Patriots’ Mac Jones experiment ended in disaster and a transfer, and the Jaguars’ attempt at resurrection did not get off to a promising start either.
Jones entered the game in the fourth quarter of Jacksonville’s loss to the Bills on Monday and dropped the ball on his third snap as Buffalo’s defense sacked the former first-round pick.
Casey Toohill recovered the ball, and three snaps later, Ray Davis stormed into the end zone from the 3-yard line to give the Bills a 47-10 lead and the final score in the Monday Night Football victory at Highmark Stadium.
Jones, who has likely had only a brief window to show flashes of development since arriving in Jacksonville, completed 5 of 8 passes for 22 yards after Jacksonville took Lawrence off the field – just as Buffalo took quarterback Josh Allen off the field – and the Jaguars were reeling.
The Patriots sent Jones – their first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft – to the Jaguars in March in exchange for a sixth-round pick, ending his tenure as New England’s starting quarterback after three full seasons.
With 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2021, but Jones only managed 24 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in the following two seasons as the Patriots – and then-head coach Bill Belichick – temporarily relied on backup Bailey Zappe.
After arriving in Jacksonville, Jones said his time with the Patriots included “a lot of great learning experiences,” and described the opportunity with the Jaguars, where he would play as Lawrence’s replacement on a squad competing for the AFC South title, as a way to “get the train back on the tracks and get it moving in the right direction.”
“We obviously decided that amicable separation was the best decision for both of us,” Jones told reporters in March, “and for me it was just about moving on and coming home. And I couldn’t be more excited. And for her it’s about moving on and starting a new chapter.”
In three preseason appearances, Jones completed 38 of 52 passes for 421 yards and three touchdowns.
But when he made his first appearance in the regular season, in the midst of an overwhelming game and with the Jaguars’ 0-3 start all but certain, Jones could not build on his brilliance from the previous season.
