Mac Jones shows bright future with New England Patriots, carves up Cleveland Browns
When he was drafted 15th overall in the NFL Draft in April, Mac Jones' confident strut to the stage resulted in a meme.
On Sunday, the rookie quarterback for the New England Patriots got the last laugh. The meme became "the man," as a self-assured Jones carved apart the Cleveland Browns in a 45-7 win for the Pats.
The 23-year-old QB had his best game as a pro, finishing 19-for-23 for 198 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions before giving way to backup Brian Hoyer for mop-up duty in the fourth quarter.
His 142.1 passer rating far exceeded his previous career-high of 118.9, set in Week 6 in a 35-29 overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
The three touchdowns on Sunday also represented a career-best, as did his eye-popping 82.6% completion percentage. Wideout Kendrick Bourne was the biggest beneficiary of New England's seven pass-catchers, hauling in four receptions for 98 yards and one picture-perfect touchdown from Jones.
That pitch-and-catch capped a 99-yard drive for the Patriots, giving New England a 21-7 lead with 5:46 left in the second quarter. The Pats owned a commanding 24-7 lead heading into the half, with Jones operating with machinelike efficiency.
At the break, Jones had as many incompletions as he did touchdowns — two.
With another strike in the third quarter — this time to tight end Hunter Henry, who had two scores on the day — Jones became the first Patriots rookie QB with three-plus passing TDs in a single game since Drew Bledsoe in 1994.
After a 2-4 start to the season, the Patriots have won four straight for the first time since 2019 to move to 6-4.
The quarterback in that 2019 season? Tom Brady, of course, the legend whom head coach Bill Belichick and Patriots fans everywhere hope Jones can adequately replace.
Jones has a long way to go to fill the GOAT's shoes, but he made a lot of people believers with his performance against Cleveland.
Furthermore, Jones has strung together multiple strong outings. During New England's current four-game winning streak, the rookie is 73-for-112 (65.2%) for 861 yards, six TDs, one interception and a passer rating of 102.6.
Calling him the second coming of Brady might be a touch premature, but could any quarterback reasonably fit that bill?
Jones is showing promise, that much is for sure. And his draft-day confidence wasn't misplaced.
Here is how social media reacted to Jones going off against the Browns:
