Patriots' Mac-Belichick: Top 10 NFL Duo?
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Historically speaking, it’s nearly impossible to win a Super Bowl without having elite talent at both quarterback and head coach.
This season is an anticipated bounce-back year for New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. From his play, to his injury, to his temper tantrums, last season was a nightmarish regression for Jones.
Jones is getting a "clean slate" by new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien this season. The third-year quarterback impressed in preseason, looking more confident in the pocket and making quicker, better decisions to decisively beat out Bailey Zappe for the starting job.
New England is in its 24th season under the direction of Bill Belichick, who is in his NFL-record 49th consecutive season coaching in the NFL. Belichick is the only head coach in NFL history to win six Super Bowl titles. However, he and Jones are still on the hunt for their first playoff win together.
A new Sports Illustrated list ranks the New England tandem at No. 10 collectively; a combination of Belichick's No. 2 ranking and Jones at No. 24. It's the biggest disparity between coach and quarterback, raising the question how will year three work out for this combo?
"Although New England hasn’t won a playoff game since the departure of Tom Brady after the 2019 season, Belichick remains a phenomenal coach," SI writes. "Unfortunately, the quarterback play has been underwhelming. Jones had an intriguing rookie season in ’21 before a lack of structure around him made for a rough ’22."
With a new-look roster and offensive coordinator, Belichick hopes New England can keep feed off a solid preseason and training camp to improve on last season's 8-9 record that left them out of the playoffs.
Jones and the Patriots have a chance to carry their momentum into the regular season, when they host the Philadelphia Eagles at 4:25 p.m. on September 10. As 4.5-point underdogs vs. the Eagles, a Week 1 upset victory would go a long way in building confidence in Jones and Belichick.
Unsurprisingly, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid topped the poll as the league's best duo, as the only combo to have won two Super Bowls together.
