Patriots reportedly giving "strong consideration" to sitting Mac Jones in preseason finale
FOXBORO -- Mac Jones and the Patriots are off to Tennessee for Friday night's preseason finale against the Titans. For Jones, it may just be a visit to Nashville.
According to ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss, the Patriots are strongly considering sitting Jones against the Titans. It has nothing to do with what Jones has or hasn't done this preseason, but everything to do with the offensive line in front of him.
Storyline on my radar: After QB Mac
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 24, 2023
Jones took some hard hits last week behind a patchwork offensive line, strong consideration has to be given to hold him out of the preseason finale.
Would normally not be a big question to play Jones in finale, but OL snapshot complicates it.
The Patriots are still without O-line stalwarts Mike Onwenu and Cole Strange, leaving them with likes of newcomer Riley Reiff and rookies Sidy Sow and Atonio Mafi to protect the quarterback alongside center David Andrews and left tackle Trent Brown. Jones played three series last Saturday night against the Green Bay Packers and found himself under seige for much of the matchup, taking a pair of sacks and a few other QB hits.
The most worrisome play of the night came on Jones' final snap, when he was strip sacked by Green Bay's Kingsley Enagbare after he owned second-year lineman Andrew Stueber. Enagbare logged both sacks on Jones that evening, with his first coming after he overpowered Sow on the line.
Jones was 6-for-9 for 52 yards over his three series, which may turn out to be his only snaps of the preseason.
If the Patriots opt to sit Jones, Bailey Zappe should get the bulk of the snaps followed by third-stringer Trace McSorley and quarterback-turned-receiver Malik Cunningham potentially getting another look at QB.
Tune in to Friday night's Patriots-Titans preseason game on WBZ-TV -- your television home for the New England Patriots. Pregame coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. with Patriots GameDay, with full analysis after the game on Patriots 5th Quarter. You can also tune in to McCourty "Twincast" streaming on WBZ.com!