Bill Belichick downplays impact of coaching changes on Mac Jones

BOSTON -- After his rookie season, Mac Jones was looking like the guy. These days ... not so much.

Jones threw his eighth interception during Sunday's loss in Miami, putting him in a seven-way tie for the most interceptions in the NFL this season. Of those quarterbacks with eight picks, Jones has the second-fewest touchdown passes (nine) and the second-lowest passer rating (82.5).

After last year's disastrous experiment with Matt Patricia running the offense, Jones was supposed to improve under the experienced guidance of Bill O'Brien. Alas, the progress is not evident.

While it may seem obvious that going from Josh McDaniels to Patricia and then to O'Brien in a three-year stretch would short-circuit a young quarterback's development, head coach Bill Belichick didn't seem to want to lend too much credence to that thought when asked about it on Monday.

"Um ... yeah. Well, look every year is its own year," Belichick told Greg Hill, after being asked how difficult it is for a young QB to adapt to three offensive coordinators in three seasons. "You start all over again every year, no matter whether you have a new coach or not a new coach. A lot of our stuff is the same terminology, but there have been changes. But there are always changes. So I don't know -- can't put a percentage on it or whatever."

Unfortunately for Jones, his job will become even more difficult for the rest of the year, after news broke Monday that Kendrick Bourne suffered a torn ACL, ending his season. Bourne was Jones' favorite target and one of the quarterback's best friends off the field, and after the two were kept apart on the field by Patricia last year, they'll be separated due to injury for the remainder of this year. 

Even with Bourne, the offense has struggled mightily under O'Brien. The Patriots rank 26th in yards per game, 27th in yards per play, 27th in rushing yards, 21st in passing yards, and 31st in points per game through eight weeks of the season.