Mac Jones displays refreshing self-awareness amid Jaguars' offensive struggles

When the Jacksonville Jaguars traded for Mac Jones earlier this year, they thought that they were getting a viable replacement for case Trevor Lawrence in case he missed time. So far, things haven't gone the way the Jags expected. Jones has struggled when called upon, but to his credit, he recognizes that he hasn't played nearly as well as he could.

Jones will be making his fourth start in Jaguars uniform against the New York Jets in Week 15. He met with the local media ahead of the game and recognized that he must process things faster and needs to get the ball to his playmaker.

"I mean, not a football scientist, but there's definitely things you learn, not only from experiences this year, but in the past, and watching other teams and how they start fast," Jones told the press corps when asked about the offense's slow starts with him at the helm. "It just starts with good quarterback play and going out there and taking the completions and moving the chains and honestly, just getting rid of the ball. Because we're not going to get any yards until I get rid of them, not very fast."

Jones continued, "The best way to do that is to give it to the running backs, tight ends, receivers, let them make plays and not focus on... sometimes, when you put such a focus on, 'hey, we haven't scored at all,' sometimes that backfires. So the process of each play, one play at a time, six seconds per play, that's all you can do. Hopefully, that stacks into a really good drive. And then you either get a field goal or a touchdown. Then you reset and do the same thing on the next drive. So that's kind of how I see it."

A first-round selection in 2021, Jones led the New England Patriots to the playoffs and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. However, he wasn't able to build off of his early career success and struggled the last two years. That led to his offseason trade to Jacksonville.

Since joining the Jags, Jones has completed 65 percent of his passes for 732 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions. However, he hasn't thrown a touchdown in any of his five last starts dating back to his stint in Foxboro.

While the Jaguars offense wasn't particularly effective with Lawrence in the fold, they have been objectively worse with Jones at the helm. Dating back to Week 10, Jacksonville has scored more than 10 points in a game just once, during the 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans.

What makes Jones' recent struggles a reason for concern is that his supporting cast is far from great but isn't dreadful either. The offensive line has given him ample time to throw, while his arsenal of weapons includes the likes of rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr., sophomore wide receiver Parker Washington, and tight end Evan Engram.

On top of that the Jaguars have a pair of talented running backs in Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne, so it's fair to say that Jones has no shortage of weapons around him and has instead failed to meet expectations. Here's his full exchange with the press head of the game.

The Jaguars will need Mac Jones to step up against the Jets defense

Mac Jones deserves credit for acknowledging that he needs to play better. Now, he must focus on doing it, which could turn out to be a tough task against the New York Jets in Week 15. Their defense currently ranks 19th in points allowed and fourth in total yards surrendered in the league.

As head coach Doug Pederson said, the New York defense isn't playing like it's 3-10, and Jones had ample experience facing the Jets when he was a member of the New England Patriots.

"It's definitely an NFL top defense in my opinion. Over my career, they're the best defense I've gone against each year, not only the players but scheme and coaching. Obviously, they're familiar with me, and I have some former teammates over there, guys I played against five or six times. So, definitely looking forward to it. I think done a good job this year, I know the record's the same. But really, their defense is one of a kind, and I got a lot of respect for those guys over there," Jones said.

Working in his favor is that Jones will have Brian Thomas Jr. at his disposal. He took advantage of his exchange with the media to praise the rookie wideout.

"He's a great player, and as a rookie, everyone's been there, has been a rookie before, that's a veteran, and it's tough. There's a lot of things coming at you, different looks, and we have a lot of other good players too, so it's not just him, but he brings that electrifying playmaking ability. He's very smart, and he works very hard, so he's all ball for sure, trying to get him to loosen up a little bit, have a little bit more fun, and enjoy it, because it's fun out there, especially when he's making plays."

Thomas is without a doubt the Jaguars' best offensive weapon, so don't be surprised if Jones targets him early and often. If he does, Jacksonville may have a shot at beating the Jets.

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