Mac Jones is a very smart young man.
He's already learned, at 24 years old and by the conclusion of his second professional season, how to say something without literally using the words.
He previously had the physical part down, when his on-field tantrums against the Bills, Cardinals and Raiders were basically code to the rest of the team, "Don't worry, I've got this. I'm going to let everyone around the country know what a crapshow this is."
All the while, Matthew Slater and Devin McCourty were encouraging Jones to "exercise his voice more." That would be the most senior leaders of the team giving their endorsement.
On Sunday, with one final appearance at the microphone after the Patriots' 35-23 loss to the Bills, Jones used the opportunity to leave a final, unmistakable message about the 2022 season the Patriots' offense just went through, just in case the Krafts were listening (they are): this season was complete and utter rubbish from an offensive perspective, and changes better be coming.
Jones was asked about this being one of the better offensive performances of the season — a season-best three touchdown passes in the 17th game will do that — and Jones immediately pivoted, and talked about the season as a whole.
"The guys in the room, we fought through a lot this year, a lot of up and downs and learned a lot about each other, learned a lot about football, and just not good enough today," Jones said. "Starts with me as a quarterback. Definitely left everything out there for the Patriot our jersey and the names on our back. So it's all you can really do. But just disappointed, so..."
That's a bizarre way to answer that question — immediately going to how much they had to fight through during the season, and then swinging it back to himself. You could argue Jones' press conference movement has been better than his pocket moves this season.
Throughout his postgame press conference with reporters, Jones constantly referenced fighting and learning.
And he couldn't have been more blatant when he succinctly answered a question about whether he was satisfied with his progress and that of the offense with a quick and firm, "No," before he continued.
"Obviously, you look at each year of your football life and you want to get better as a player. And I did, I learned a lot. And I think a lot of guys on our team learned a lot. But it was not the progress that any of us wanted to make, so starts with me ... Just proud of the guys. Like I said, it's just tough because we had such a good group of guys, same group, you know, I've been working with the past few years and we made a lot of progress throughout the years. Not good enough to you know, consistently do it and all that, so it's disappointing."
Notice how Jones took the time to emphasize that it was basically the same group as last year. There was also the learning thing again, and he hit on that even more later when he was asked why he thought he had made progress this season. Jones took the blame, but then he got to the truth.
"As a quarterback, I just put the blame on me because it's my offense, it's my group of guys, and we have to put a better product out there and it starts with me," said Jones, who then hit his point of emphasis after that soft opening.
"So ... tough uphill battle but learned a lot, learned more than I ever could imagine in a football season. Just want to be able to build on it and you know today's disappointing."
That's basically Mac-speak for him saying that there's no way, if you asked him when he entered the league, that he could envision, in his second year, that Bill Belichick would allow the offensive changes — coaching and system — he did this season. But they finally got through it ... with two fewer wins as a team, and a complete 180 when it came to all the offensive numbers put up by a rookie quarterback with brand new receivers and tight ends from free agency. Let's also not forget about the changes on the offensive line, like Trent Brown and Isaiah Wynn suddenly being asked to switch sides, which got this all off to a bad start way back in early September in Miami.
Does Jones have a point? Of course he does. Unless you pray to the altar of Belichick, anyone with eyes can see that the decisions Belichick made and the changes he endorsed basically forced the offensive players to go through a completely pointless season where no one got better, and most of them were ridiculed for it.
I mean, Jones was subjected to Bailey Zappe chants in his home stadium, for crying out loud.
Is Jones some perfect prospect? No. Is he without blame? Nope. Is he definitely the franchise quarterback going forward? Not until he proves it, which makes his third season crucial to him and the team.
Even in this game, Jones made several terrific reads and throws. But he also threw two red-zone interceptions, although the first seemed to be miscommunication with Nelson Agholor — who was never heard from again in the game (and probably marked the end of his forgettable Patriots career).
But I don't know how any football fan who watches the game every week, and has seen how dramatically improved Trevor Lawrence and Daniel Jones — both players were ridiculed last year as busts — became this season thanks to skilled, veteran offensive coaches (Doug Pederson, Brian Daboll) and can't make the logical and easy leap that the opposite could happen to Jones when saddled with two coaches in Matt Patricia and Joe Judge who, in the words of one veteran coach, "know absolutely nothing about what they're doing," and not give Jones a complete pass for this season.
To me, it's unfathomable.
I am no Jones honk. I thought he should have been benched against the Raiders. I've called out his bad play when warranted. I can't tell you he's going to be the Patriots' starting quarterback in 2024.
But I can tell you this with certainty: no one but Belichick should be judged off this season to forget. It was a complete waste of our time and, even worse, a complete waste of time and health for guys like David Andrews, Devin McCourty, Matthew Slater, and Jones and the rest of the offense.
Like Jones said a few times, they played for the Patriots on the front of their jersey — the fans and ownership — and their names on the back, because this season is going to hurt all of them. Notice that Jones didn't say, now that it's all over, anything about the coaches.
He knows. The players know. Ownership knows.
Jones was asked about what needs to change, and he again went into Mac-speak.
"I think the players, we have a great group and fought hard for each other, and it's just conversations that will be had and it's not important right now," he said. "I think everybody put everything they had on the line. That's important. Played for, like I said the Patriot on the front of our jerseys and the names on our back. And that's all you can ask. At the end of the day, you just can control your effort and that's all you can control. So tough, tough year, tough ending. But proud of the guys and really blessed to have gone through a year like this and honestly just looking forward to improving as a football player, so a lot to digest."
You can say that again, Mac.
Hopefully Belichick does better by all of you heading into 2023. If he doesn't, that's why the Krafts own the team and the coach — whoever it is — is just renting, no matter how many Super Bowls they have won with a certain quarterback.
One thing everyone can agree on: this was a season full of avoidable errors and self-inflected wounds that started the moment Belichick set up his offensive coaching staff like this, and left the players hanging out to dry.