How Mac Jones Compared To Fellow Rookie QBs In NFL Debuts
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Sunday marked a significant day for the New England franchise. Yet the Patriots weren't alone in ushering in what they hope to be a new era of quarterbacking for their team.
The Jaguars and Jets both handed the keys to rookie QBs this summer, while the 49ers and Bears are opting for a more gradual transition for their first-round rookie quarterbacks.
While the careers of Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones all have a long way to go, they all also began on Sunday. Here's how it looked for each of them.
TREVOR LAWRENCE
Loss, 31-27, at Houston
28-for-51, 54.9%
332 yards, 6.5 Y/A
3 TDs, 3 INT
1 sack
1 rush, -2 yards
70.1 passer rating
The No. 1 overall pick made some beautiful throws but also made some poor decisions, resulting in interceptions. It should be remembered that Lawrence is joining a team that went 1-15 last year and has a first-time NFL head coach at the helm. Success won't come easy for anybody in Jacksonville.
ZACH WILSON
Loss, 19-14, at Carolina
20-for-37, 54.1%
258 yards, 7 Y/A
2 TDs, 1 INT
6 sacks
82.9 passer rating
Wilson is likewise joining a team that was very bad a year ago, with a first-time NFL head coach. So it's not an ideal situation for anyone to land.
Still, Wilson showed some of what made him the No. 2 overall pick in the draft on his first touchdown pass:
But the picks ...
... the six sacks ...
... and some bad execution ...
... all works to show how far Wilson and the Jets will need to go -- this year and beyond.
TREY LANCE
Win (backup role), 41-33, at Detroit
1-for-1, 100%
5 yards, 5 Y/A
1 TD, 0 INT
3 rushes, 2 yards
127.1 passer rating
With Jimmy Garoppolo entrenched as the starter, Lance saw the field for just a handful of snaps. He made the most of his second one, hitting Trent Sherfield for what looked to be an easy touchdown on his very first NFL pass.
Lance had been on the field a few plays earlier, running for one yard on a first-and-10 at the Detroit 15-yard line. He later came on to run (for two yards) on a third-and-20, and he also lost a yard while rushing on a third-and-1 attempt in the third quarter.
JUSTIN FIELDS
Loss (backup role), 34-14, at Los Angeles Rams
2-for-2, 100%
10 yards, 5 Y/A
0 TD, 0 INT
1 rush, 3 yards, TD
87.5 passer rating
How long will the Bears go with Andy Dalton over Fields, the 11th overall pick in this year's draft? That is the question.
Andy Dalton was ... Andy Dalton, completing 71.1 percent of his 38 throws for 206 yards with no touchdowns and one pick. Fields entered on the opening drive of the game and completed a pass for nine yards, only for Dalton to end that drive with an interception in the end zone.
Later in the game, the Bears put the ball in the hands of Fields and trusted him to score. He did.
Considering Dalton is remarkably average, and considering the Bears traded a lot of draft capital to move up to get Fields, this setup seems unsustainable. On the plus side, the rookie looked good in limited action.
MAC JONES
Loss, 17-16, vs. Miami
29-for-39, 74.4%
281 yards, 7.2 Y/A
1 TD, 0 INT
1 sack
102.6 passer rating
Jones' debut got off to a slightly nightmarish start, with the rookie feeling pressure, panicking, and then throwing a ... backward spike, also known as a fumble. Fortunately for him, the Patriots recovered, but he turned a scoring drive into a punt drive with that loss of 13 yards.
But Jones recovered well from that miscue, and he got better as the day went on. He sensed pressure and escaped the pocket when needed to. He went through his reads to find open targets. He maintained the accuracy that made him so dangerous in college. He completed nine of 12 passes on third downs. And he delivered a few dandies.
Jones didn't rack up the touchdowns, but he didn't throw any picks, and if not for a soul-sucking fumble by Damien Harris in the red zone late in the fourth quarter, he played well enough to win.
