Mark Daniels: Here's what the Patriots must do to get Mac Jones back on track

Published

2 years ago

January 9, 2023

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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. Mac Jones deserved better. Mac Jones also needed to be better.

Both statements felt true following the disappointing conclusion of the Patriots 2022 season Sunday. Theres no sugar coating this past year other than calling it a collective failure from Bill Belichick when it comes to developing his second-year quarterback.

Jones doesnt get a free pass, but its hard to put all the failures of this years offense on the quarterbacks right arm. Sundays 35-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills was a good example. The defeat knocked the Patriots out of the playoffs with an ugly 8-9 record. It doesnt feel too long ago that the team won 10 games and went to the playoffs with a rookie quarterback. Enter your email address here to receive MassLive’s Patriots newsletter every Monday and Friday.

Jones performance in his final game as a second-year pro showed some improvement. He finished completing 65% of his passes (26 for 40) for 243 yards to go with a season-high three touchdown passes and three interceptions, two of which hit his intended targets in the hand and bounced to a Bills player.

It wasnt all bad for Jones. This season hasnt been all bad, but this season hasnt been nearly good enough. After finishing last season with 3,801 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, Jones looked like the Patriots future franchise quarterback

After finishing the 2022 season with 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, Jones didnt look like a future franchise quarterback. This season, he looked frustrated and at times, jittery in the pocket. His trademark accuracy wasnt always there.

This leaves the Patriots in quarterback purgatory. You could argue the Patriots should try and upgrade their quarterback position. I would argue that the Patriots need to do more to help Jones reach his potential.

This season, Belichick set his quarterback up to fail when he replaced Josh McDaniels with the likes of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. Those decisions ultimately led to a lost year for Jones and the Patriots franchise.

However, theres still hope. Heres an easy 3-step process the Patriots can follow to support their quarterback and get Jones back on track.Step 1: Hire an experienced offensive coordinator

Lets get this one out of the way.

It doesnt take a football genius to see that Belichick made a mistake with the way he handled losing Josh McDaniels. He went from having one of the most experienced offensive coordinators/quarterback coaches in the NFL to having the least experience with Patricia and Judge.

Patricia and Judge arent bad coaches, but they werent put in positions to succeed, either. Patricia should be coaching defense, where he won Super Bowl titles, and Judge should be coaching special teams, where he won Super Bowls.

The easiest fix here is for Belichick to hire former Patriots and current Alabama offensive coordinator Bill OBrien.

OBriens contract with Alabama has expired. He did a great job as the Patriots offensive play caller/quarterbacks coach when McDaniels left for Denver. Hes coming from Alabama, where Jones played. He also has a relationship with Jones as the quarterback helped OBrien learn the Alabama playbook.

It makes too much sense.

Now, if Belichick doesnt hire OBrien, he still needs to bring in someone else. Another option is former Patriots receivers coach Chad OShea. He has offensive coordinator experience with Miami in 2019.

The Patriots finished this season converting just 35.15% of their third downs. Thats the worst mark in New England dating back to 2007. The same goes for their NFL-worst red zone percentage of 41.46%. The Patriots were collectively disappointing on offense this season. Thats why Belichicks top priority is to revamp his coaching staff with an experienced offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.Step 2: Fix the tackle position

The Patriots opted to move Isaiah Wynn from left tackle to right tackle this season. That ended up being a disaster.

In the nine games he played, Wynn allowed five sacks and five holding penalties. His counterpart, Trent Brown, also had an inconsistent season as he dealt with an illness for several weeks. Brown came into Sundays game having allowed a team-high nine sacks.

The Patriots pass protection wasnt good enough in 2022.

Jones played in 13 games this season. He was sacked 33 times (7.6% of his drop backs). Last season, Jones was sacked 28 times (5.1% of his drop backs).

The problem on the Patriots offensive line wasnt the interior. Rookie left guard Cole Strange had some rookie moments, but all things considered, he showed to be a good athlete. Center David Andrews and right guard Michael Onwenu played like potential Pro Bowlers. All three return next season. Again, theyre not the problem.

The problem is the tackle position. Wynn is a free agent in March. Brown enters 2023 in the final year of his contract.

To fix this issue, the Patriots should spend money on a veteran tackle free agent and then draft a tackle in the 2023 NFL Draft. Truthfully, the Patriots should probably draft a tackle in the first round. They need that kind of talent to help Jones.

If the Patriots can protect Jones, it would go a long way to the quarterback having success next fall.Step 3: Get a Pro Bowl-caliber receiver

The Patriots tried to give Jones more weapons this season when they traded for receiver DeVante Parker and drafted receiver Tyquan Thornton in the second round. Those two return, along with Kendrick Bourne, in 2023.

The first thing the Patriots should do in free agency is re-sign Jakobi Meyers. The receiver finished this season with a team-high 804 receiving yards. This marks the third-straight year Meyers has led the Patriots in receiving.

Meyers isnt the problem. Hes part of the solution. However, the Patriots should look to acquire a legitimate No. 1 weapon for Jones to target.

Remember Tom Bradys last few Super Bowls in New England? Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski were big parts of those offenses. Gronk is a future Hall-of-Fame tight end. Edelman was one of the best receivers in the NFL. Jones needs some of that. The offense needs a playmaker that makes opposing defensive coordinators concerned going into each weekend. The type of player you need to game plan for.

This season, Rhamondre Stevenson and Meyers were by far the best two offensive weapons in New England. Can you imagine what this offense would be like if they had someone like DeAndre Hopkins? What about D.J. Moore? Or how about Davante Adams?

Considering Meyers and JuJu Smith-Schuster are the two best receiver free agents this offseason, the Patriots should look to trade for a veteran receiver. It makes sense to call the Arizona Cardinals about Hopkins, who Belichick adores. It cant hurt to check in with Carolina about Moore. Is Adams unhappy in Las Vegas? Might as well pick up the phone and see if hes available.

Adding a legitimate game changer on offense would only help Jones. Add in a legit offensive coordinator and a better offensive line, and there would be no excuses for Jones. It would put this third-year quarterback in a position to succeed unlike what happened this past season.

Sports

George to ‘enhance’ program at Bowling Green

Published

1 hour ago

March 10, 2025

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George to 'enhance' program at Bowling Green

Associated Press

Mar 10, 2025, 04:52 PM ET

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Eddie George was pondering the next steps in his burgeoning career as a college football coach while driving back from the NFL scouting combine.

He got a sign in the most unlikely of places.

George was driving through Bowling Green, Kentucky, on his way back to Nashville when he received a text from Urban Meyer asking if George would be interested in returning to Ohio and being the coach at Bowling Green.

After a couple weeks of discussions, George was formally introduced on Monday as the 21st head coach in school history.

“It feels like a whirlwind. Last week felt like a whole month in terms of the interviews and the process,” George said during his introductory press conference at the Stroh Center. “This is not going to be an easy process. We still have a lot of work to do to get across the finish line.”

George replaces Scot Loeffler, who left Bowling Green on Feb. 28 to become the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterbacks coach. Loeffler had a 27-41 record in six seasons, including bowl appearances the past three seasons.

Meyer, who coached BG for two years before going on to Utah, Florida and Ohio State, was one of many former coaches and players that athletic director Derek van der Merwe had discussions with about candidates.

George returns to Ohio — where he won the 1995 Heisman Trophy at Ohio State — after being the head coach at Tennessee State for four years. He had a 24-22 record and took a program that had struggled to its first Football Championship Subdivision playoff spot since 2013 this past season.

The Tigers went 9-3 in 2024 and won a share of the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference. George was named coach of the year and was a runner-up for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year award.

Bowling Green was originally supposed to start spring practices on Wednesday, but that will be delayed a couple of weeks as George finalizes his coaching staff.

“I wouldn’t say it’s great timing. But when I took over at Tennessee State, it was in the spring, ironically. It took us some time to get there, but we got there,” George said. “I think now the goal is how do we get to September? It’s going to take diligence for us to be focused, operate with a great attitude and be intentional.”

George played nine seasons in the NFL, including eight with the Tennessee Titans. He was the 1996 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and an All-Pro selection in 2000. He finished with 10,441 yards rushing with 268 catches for 2,227 yards and had 78 total touchdowns. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

George also interviewed with the Chicago Bears for their head coach opening in January.

Besides coaching, George has been an actor who appeared on Broadway in New York, along with other business interests. He also has taught as an adjunct professor at his alma mater Ohio State and Vanderbilt University.

“After meeting with Eddie, it became very clear to me that Eddie checked every aspect of that profile that we created. He is someone who cares about people, values, personal growth and development, defines himself by his ability to adapt, adjust, and have success in every aspect of his life,” van der Merwe said.

George spent the 2004 season with the Dallas Cowboys before retiring in 2006. His wife Tamara “Taj” George is a member of the group Sisters with Voices (SWV) and they have two sons. Eriq George has been a starting defensive end the past two seasons for Tennessee State.

Bowling Green has been a successful springboard for past coaches. Besides Meyer, Dave Clawson and Dino Babers had successful tenures that propelled them to jobs at Wake Forest and Syracuse.

However, this could be a rebuilding year for the Falcons. All-America tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is a top prospect in the upcoming NFL draft while wide receiver Malcolm Johnson Jr. and quarterback Connor Bazelak are graduating. Running back Terion Stewart transferred to Virginia Tech.

“We don’t stray away from what made this program successful. I’m not here to blow it up. I’m here to enhance it,” George said.

Technology

Fintech stocks plummet as Wall Street worries about consumer spending, credit

Published

1 hour ago

March 10, 2025

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Fintech stocks plummet as Wall Street worries about consumer spending, credit

People wait in line for t-shirts at a pop-up kiosk for the online brokerage Robinhood along Wall Street after the company went public with an IPO earlier in the day on July 29, 2021 in New York City.

Spencer Platt | Getty Images

It was a bad day for tech stocks, and a brutal one for fintech.

As the Nasdaq suffered its steepest decline since 2022, some of the biggest losers were companies that sit at the intersection of Wall Street and Silicon Valley.

Stock trading app Robinhood tumbled 20%, bitcoin holder Strategy fell 17% and crypto exchange Coinbase lost 18%. Much of the slide in those three stocks was tied to the drop in bitcoin, which fell almost 5%, continuing its downward trajectory. The price of the leading cryptocurrency is now down 19% in the past month, falling after a big-post election pop in late 2024.

Beyond the crypto trade, online lenders and payments companies also fell more than the broader market. Affirm, which popularized buy now, pay later loans, dropped 11%, as did SoFi, which offers personal loans and mortgages. Shopify, which provides payment technology to online retailers, fell more than 7%.

JPMorgan Chase fintech analysts on Monday highlighted declining consumer confidence as a potential challenge for companies that rely on consumer spending for growth. In late February, the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index slipped to 98.3 for the month, down nearly 7%, the largest monthly drop since August 2021. Walmart recently reported a shift away from discretionary purchases, underscoring the potential trouble.

“Our universe has modestly outperformed the S&P 500 since the election, but sentiment has soured of late on declining consumer confidence and signs of slowing discretionary spend,” the JPMorgan analysts wrote.

The fintech selloff follows a strong rally in the fourth quarter, driven by Fed rate cut expectations and hopes for a more favorable regulatory environment under the Trump administration.

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Environment

Tesla (TSLA) insider trading: Elon’s friend James Murdoch just unloaded $13 million

Published

1 hour ago

March 10, 2025

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Tesla (TSLA) insider trading: Elon's friend James Murdoch just unloaded million

James Murdoch, a Tesla board member and friend of CEO Elon Musk, has confirmed that he sold about $13 million in stock today as the stock (TSLA) crashed.

There has been a lot of insider trading at Tesla lately, and by trading, we mean selling – cause no insider is ever buying at Tesla.

We recently reported on Kimball Musk, Elon’s brother, and Tesla’s Chief Financial Officer Taneja Vaibhav recently selling ahead of a recent drop in the company’s stock price.

Tesla’s chairwoman, Robyn Denholm, also sold $33 million worth of Tesla shares last week and over $100 million in the last 3 months.

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Now, it’s James Murdoch’s turn. The Tesla board member just confirmed, through a required SEC filing, that he sold 54,776 Tesla shares for just over $13 million today:

He sold as Tesla’s stock crashed 15% today. It is now down more than 50% from its all-time high just a few months ago.

Murdoch was appointed to Tesla’s board in 2017.

He is better known as the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the former CEO of 21st Century Fox from 2015 to 2019.

Murdoch was one of the Tesla board directors who was forced to return almost $1 billion in cash and stock options to Tesla as part of a settlement for over-compensation.

Electrek’s Take

Tesla insiders are unloading, and those are just the ones we know about. Public companies only have to report insider trading for board directors and listed top executives.

For the latter, Tesla purposefully only lists 3 people: Elon, Vaibhav Taneja, Tesla’s CFO, and Tom Zhu, whose role at Tesla has bit quite fluid in recent years.

Therefore, we don’t know about the dozens of other top executives potentially selling their shares right now amid a giant correction.

It’s really suspicious because there are clear top leaders at Tesla who are often on Tesla’s earnings calls, and they are not even listed, like Lars Moravy, for example.

But it’s par for the course at Tesla, which has some of the worst corporate governance I have ever seen. It’s truly shameful.

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