3 Patriots most to blame for turning Mac Jones into a complete disaster

Bill Belichick will ultimately receive the bulk of the blame for Mac Jones' struggles

It's only natural for the head coach to shoulder the majority of the blame in these situations. Mac Jones has completely tanked the season and the Patriots will soon be in search of a new QB, and perhaps a new head coach. Who would've thought Jones, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2021, would potentially end the most storied coach-team relationship in league history two years later?

Belichick will go down as the greatest head coach the NFL has ever seen, but we are approaching Gregg Popovich territory here. Times change, and coaches who once held insurmountable tactical advantages in their prime lose their fastball. Belichick very clearly isn't one step ahead of the competition anymore. Jones' shoddy play would make it hard on any coach, but it's difficult to chart the QB's demise from a successful rookie season to a god-awful third season and not at least question Belichick's role in that decline.

We can toss Patriots O.C. Bill O'Brien into the fire as well, but Belichick has been in charge of personnel for years now and he is the sole champion of the famed "Patriot Way." Belichick put the pieces around Jones that have failed so spectacularly, and Belichick is the one who hired O'Brien after his college football flameout.

It's the head coach's job to optimize his players. Jones has brought this on himself in myriad ways, but the Patriots' approach has changed drastically since Jones' successful rookie campaign and the product has suffered. Jones should be out of a (starting) job next season, but Belichick's handling of the QB situation could push him out the door as well.