Here's what Mac Jones focused on during Patriots' bye week

BOSTON -- Mac Jones' first season in the NFL was excellent, better than anyone could have reasonably expected from a rookie. Year two, though, has been a bit rough.

With an ankle injury that cost him three full games and most of a fourth, and with a complete overhaul in the offensive coaching staff, Jones has struggled in 2022. He entered the Patriots' bye week with just four touchdowns and seven interceptions on the season, along with a passer rating of 76.0. After a rookie year with 22 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a 92.5 rating, it's been a precipitous drop.

But Jones, according to some reports, spent a lot of time over his bye week focusing on how he can improve for the home stretch of the season, as the Patriots fight for a spot in the postseason.

"Mac Jones, the Patriots quarterback, spent his bye week doing a 'full audit' on himself. He offered no details on what he spent his time doing, but I was able to scrounge up a couple of things as far as where Mac Jones took his focus," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said on Sunday. "My understanding of what he did, he studied himself on tape -- specifically the timing of his drops. And guys, too often, he would get to the top of his drop, he would be finished with it, he would look out, and the receivers had not made their breaks. Basically, he was dropping back too quickly. So he would watch the film, pause, say where are the receivers, where are my eyes, trying to sync up his drops with the receivers. It was mostly mental work, not physical."

Former Patriots linebacker and current ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi added corroborated that report as well.

Rapoport also added a rather significant detail about Jones' health.

"It is worth noting that Mac Jones' ankle finally does feel 100 percent," Rapoport said.