Ex-Cowboys star predicts Mac Jones to make "biggest leap" in NFL due to Bill O'Brien's arrival

Mac Jones severely struggled during the 2022 NFL season after a promising rookie campaign the year before. He regressed in just about every statistical category as the New England Patriots uncharacteristically missed out on the NFL playoffs.

Now entering Year 3 of his young career, Jones will be looking to bounce back in a big way. In an effort to support his progress, Bill Belichick hired Bill O'Brien to take over as their offensive coordinator. They used a strange committee approach to the position last year, so adding stability could help elevate Jones.

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end and current NFL analyst Marcus Spears recently appeared on an episode of First Take to explain why he believes Mac Jones will take the biggest leap forward of any player in the NFL this year.

Spears said:

"It ain't about who's going to be better. It's about who will make the biggest leap. The biggest leap is going to be made by Mac Jones by default. Jones didn't have an offensive coordinator last year. He had makeshift guys that Bill Belichick wanted to be offensive coordinators. He brought in Bill O'Brien this year who had some experience with Jones, who has experience calling plays in the NFL.

"Bill O'Brien should get a lot of credit for the ascension we saw Deshaun Watson make in Houston, not the GM Bill O'Brien, but the head coach, Bill O'Brien. All right, and now you bring him in to New England, you bring in Juju Smith-Schuster, and you just normalize playing offense. Like this is almost by default."

Jones and O'Brien are familiar with each other due to their college football connection with the Alabama Crimson Tide. This can potentially help with their chemistry and ultimately his production in their offensive system. Upgrading their pass-catchers with Juju Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki could also make a difference.

Bill O'Brien already has previous success building up a young quarterback, as pointed out by Marcus Spears. He helped Deshaun Watson lead the entire NFL in passing yards in 2020 when they teamed up for the Houston Texans. The Patriots are hoping that pairing him with Mac Jones will produce similar results.

Mac Jones' alarming regression in 2022

QB Mac Jones

Mac Jones regressed in just about every passing category during the 2022 NFL season compared to his impressive rookie year. His completion percentage dropped by nearly three points, while he threw for 800 fewer yards and eight less touchdowns. This resulted in his passer rating dropping from 92.5 to 84.8.

Jones will likely need a strong third year to secure his place as the Patriots' starting quarterback beyond this season. Bill O'Brien can potentially help him do so. While the New England Patriots lacked a legitimate offensive coordinator last year, Jones had a much better season with Josh McDaniels in the position. Maybe the added stability will get Jones back on track.