Mac Jones' stock takes massive hit as he fails to come through for Jaguars vs. Jets

Ever since Trevor Lawrence hurt his shoulder earlier this season, the Jacksonville Jaguars have leaned on Mac Jones. While he's played well at times, he's not done enough to keep the offense afloat. Against the New York Jets, the former Alabama standout had a chance to lead the Jags to a win but instead threw the interception that put an end to their comeback attempt.

Jones made his fifth start of the season and played relatively well, going 31-of-46 for 294 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. All things considered, it was probably his best game in Jaguars uniform. But down 32-35 and with a chance to win the game, he failed to deliver.

As you can see, Jones sailed a pass that fell in the hands of cornerback Sauce Gardner. When asked about it after the game, he said that he would need to watch the tape. For his part, head coach Doug Pederson feels the fourth-year quarterback played well, pointing out that he and the team must build off of the performance.

"I thought Mac played, played good. He played well, Pederson told the media. "I thought the offensive line protected well today again, did some good things. BT had a heck of a game. I think we just got to keep learning, and can keep growing as a team, and keep working. Mac gets more comfortable with the things we're doing and what he likes. He played tough. He played physical. He did some scrambles in there, so it was a good performance."

Regarding the game-sealing interception, Pederson also said that he needs to look at the tape but acknowledges that Jones might've overthrown the pass.

"I just think he sailed the ball a bit too high. But look, he's trying to make a play. I have to take a look at the film and make a determination on the route combination. It was a double-move route combination. So catching them in their two-high shell defense, and just felt like a little bit overthrown," Pederson said.

That said, not everything was doom and gloom for Jones. He scrambled when he needed and consistently looked to churn out the tough yards.

Similarly, Jones did a good job distributing the ball and trusting Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, and Brenton Strange. Moreover, the defense also deserves blame for the loss. Because of a blown coverage and questionable assignments, they allowed Davante Adams to score twice in the second half.

No offense to Devin Lloyd, but why would you have a linebacker shadow a wide receiver, especially one of Adam's caliber? By giving up two touchdowns late in the game, the Jags added extra pressure on Jones' shoulders.

Then again, you want your quarterback to deliver in the clutch, and Jones wasn't able to come through.

The Jaguars will continue to ride with Mac Jones the rest of the season

When the Jacksonville Jaguars traded for Mac Jones earlier this year, they thought they were getting a dependable quarterback who could fill in for Trevor Lawrence if needed. However, that hasn't been the case.

In Jones' defense, the Jags haven't been particularly great this season, and he isn't the sole reason they're 3-11. Heck, even before Lawrence suffered a shoulder sprain, the offense had trouble putting points on the scoreboard. Then again, Jones hasn't help matters, and that doesn't bode well for his chances of having a robust market in free agency.

Jones is slated to hit the open market in 2025 and would've benefited from a strong season. However, he's failed to bounce back from his struggles during his last two years with the New England Patriots.

Maybe the Jaguars weren't the ideal landing spot for the Jacksonville native to rebuild his career after all.

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