Nick Saban provides sage advice for embattled Patriots QB Mac Jones amid ongoing struggles
Now in his third season, New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has struggled to live up to his first round potential. That’s potential that he honed during an excellent Alabama career under head coach Nick Saban, which saw him win a national championship as the team’s starting quarterback in 2020.
Saban is aware of his struggles and during an appearance on Sunday NFL Countdown, he shared that for Jones to improve as a quarterback, he needs to make sure his attitude and body language are good. This is, according to Saban, something he had to learn at Alabama.
“I used to call Mac, John McEnroe because he was a tennis player in high school. I said, ‘When you mess up in tennis, you get to throw your racket.’ You can’t do that in football,” Nick Saban said. “You’ve got 10 other guys looking at you. You’ve got to have a positive attitude. I shouldn’t know if you completed a pass or didn’t complete the pass based on your body language because your body language is affecting everybody else.”
At times, body language and attitude have become issues for Mac Jones in the NFL. Along with that, potentially dirty plays committed out of frustration have earned him a reputation around the NFL.
“And he grew out of that in the year that he started here and had a great year, he wasn’t that way at all. So, I don’t know what’s happening now. I don’t get to see these games. Sunday is a big work day for us in terms of our preparation,” Saban said.
“So, I don’t get to see him play all the time. I know the Patriots aren’t doing great. I don’t hear great things about how he’s doing, but I think if he settles in and just focuses on the next play and not get upset and frustrated, he’ll probably play a lot better.”
The New England Patriots are just 1-5 this season and Mac Jones has struggled mightily. He has just 1,208 passing yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions in six games this season.
Mac Jones on his job security
Following New England’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Mac Jones opened up about his job security.
“I’m confident. I think that comes from years of experience and earning respect from people, and I think I’ve done that. But I’m trying to win every game I play in, and I’m not doing it. So I just really want to focus on, ‘How can I bring these guys with me? How can we clean up the little things?’” Jones said.
“It takes all 11, and that’s important. And to be the leader of that 11 is a lot of stress, but that’s why I play this game. I really want to win, and I’m doing a lot of things to do that during the week. But for whatever reason, it’s just not happening on Sunday.”