The New England Patriots have now fallen to 1-5 on the season, as they lost their third straight game in a row with a Week 6 loss against the Las Vegas Raiders. Mac Jones was benched the previous two weeks for poor play, but he made it all the way through without being sat down on Sunday.
Against Las Vegas, the former Alabama quarterback threw for 200 yards and zero touchdowns. Jones did throw his seventh interception of the season, which was his fifth pick in his last three games. This season has not gone well for the 25-year-old QB, and he needs to turn things around quickly. Rumors of his potential replacements are already heating up.
New England's defense is good, but the offense is an alarming issue. The lack of talent is becoming evident, as Bill Belichick's team doesn't have a single star weapon.
Even with the lack of talent surrounding him, it still seems like the Patriots would be better off moving on from Jones. The energy around the team is lower than ever before, and it even looks like Jones' receivers aren't bought in.
Next week, New England will be hosting the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen will likely be able to outduel Jones, which means the Patriots would fall to 1-6. If things continue to spiral, it only makes sense to move on from the 2021 first-round pick.
Should the Patriots move on from Mac Jones?
Even though it's only his third season, it doesn't seem like Jones will find success in New England. The trade deadline is on Oct. 31, so Belichick will have a tough decision to make.
If Jones continues to play poorly, then trading the young QB would only make sense. It would be unfortunate, as he looked like a reliable option in his rookie season. The Patriots QB threw for over 3,800 yards, along with 22 touchdown passes.
After losing Tom Brady, it looked like Belichick found his guy right away. Three seasons later though, perhaps the Patriots rushed their replacement search. Offensive coordinator changes haven't helped, and a season under Matt Patricia will set back any young signal-caller.
Several teams would love to take a flyer on Jones, as he still could find success in this league. Contending teams are starting to value the backup position more and more, so at the worst he has value behind a veteran starter. Learning the ropes could do Jones some good.
With New England's season looking like it's in the gutter, benching Jones would help them tank the rest of the way.
Sitting the former first-rounder down might be the best thing to do to achieve that a top draft pick in the 2024 class. Belichick may want to take it a step further though.