'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Earlier this week, Brett Favre was interviewed and made comparisons between rookie Mac Jones and veteran Tom Brady. It's easy to say that Jones is the next Brady since he is Brady's replacement. Even more so, it's easy to say that Jones is Brady because Belichick has put his entire faith in the young quarterback. It was the same situation that saw Mac Jones start over veteran Cam Newton.
However, there are plenty of comparisons that separate them both. Jones and Brady are not one of the same, no matter how successful they both were when entering the league.
Is Mac Jones better than Tom Brady?
Mac Jones and Tom Brady have a similar size comparison as both come in around 6'4" and weigh nearly 220 lbs. That could be the only case in which Jones can be seen as a "carbon copy" of Brady.
However, Jones and Brady have had many different starts to their season. Brady's first three games saw the QB throw for no touchdowns and no interceptions. It's not entirely the stat that a team wants for their starting quarterback, but making rookie mistakes that lead to interceptions can be damaging for a massive number of reasons.
Mac Jones' first three games have gone much differently. Jones' first three games saw the rookie QB throw for 2 TDs and 3 INTs. Again, not the stats that you want from your future franchise QB, but Jones has since turned things around.
Brady's rookie season was also different in that he had a Pro Bowl-level wide receiver to throw the ball to. Troy Brown ended the 2001 season with 1,199 yards and 5 TDs. Brady's other reliable receiver was David Patten. Patten logged 741 yards and 5 TDs. These are two complementary receivers that made Brady look that much better in his rookie season.
Mac Jones currently has Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers, and Nelson Agholor sharing receiving duties. All three receivers have collectively caught 9 TDs, and neither of them has gone over 700 yards. Jones has arguably way less to work with and is still leading the Patriots to victories.
Brady had 43 rush yards on 36 attempts in his rookie season. Jones currently has 71 rushing yards on 27 attempts. The case was made that Jones is a much more mobile quarterback than Brady was in his rookie year.
Jones also currently has 2,850 passing yards with 16 TDs and 8 INTs. Brady's rookie year saw him log 2,843 passing yards with 18 TDs and 12 INTs. Jones wins the edge on production.
Though both QBs struggled with their first three games in their rookie campaigns, they both corrected themselves, and Brady led his team into the playoffs. Jones has the Patriots at 8-4 and is looking every bit as a playoff-contending as Brady's 2001 Patriots team was.
Simply put: Brady and Jones share similar stories and size comparisons, but that's where it stops. Jones is looking to have a much better rookie season and will when everything is said and done. He has lesser-known receivers but is making things work. He is more mobile and makes far fewer mistakes than Brady did.
Jones is just a better rookie than Brady was.
