Mac Jones is Reportedly 'Pumped" Bill O'Brien is Coming. Welcome to the Club.

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There's a moment in one of the criminally under-celebrated movies of the 2000s, Master and Commander, where the ship is sailing around Cape Horn at the very tip of South America, some of the worst waters in the world. The officers are all sitting around the table having some after dinner booze when the ship creaks in a particular way, and they all start cheering and celebrating. The doctor, who's not an experienced seaman and confused, says, "Clearly something nautical and fascinating just happened. I am at a loss." To which the captain explains, "We have made our turn northward, dear doctor! We are heading back toward the sun." 

People who are new to the Patriots can be excused if they didn't understand what all the cheering was about this morning:

But us old salts who've circumnavigated the globe in this (champion)ship know something nautical and fascinating happened the minute it was announced Bill O'Brien was re-taking the helm of this offense for the first time since 2011. We're on the right course once again. Heading back toward the sun. (OK, the seafaring metaphor ends now. You'll be spared from here on in. But that's a hell of a movie. One of my desert island choices. Peak Russell Crowe. You owe it to yourself to see it.)

And no one can appreciate that course correction (OK, that one's a leftover) more than the guy who had to bear the brunt of Matt Patricia's inability to coach offense, Mac Jones. 

The briefest glance at Jones' career numbers paint a picture of the difference between him playing with an offensive-minded coach in his helmet and not:

As do his analytics. Pro Football Focus had him with an overall grade of 80.0 in 2021, with a passing grade of 78.5. Last season, those numbers jackknifed off the high dive to 67.5 and 68.7, respectively. Which would help explain his reaction to today's announcement:

Source - O’Brien [has] dealt with the demands of Belichick and coach Nick Saban. He’s tweaked his offense to please Belichick and Saban.

For Jones, it’s the best of both worlds. That’s why he’s pumped up about the new coaching hire.

According to one source close to Jones, the Patriots quarterback is “very” excited about O’Brien coming to New England.

Another source close to the Patriots quarterback told MassLive that Jones “is looking forward to working with coach O’Brien.” They added that since the Patriots and Alabama have a similar culture and offensive approach, it should help Jones with the transition of working with O’Brien.

The source said that for Jones, it’ll be “nice to start a new working relationship with someone that you already have had the opportunity to work with.” 

O’Brien and Jones have a preexisting relationship. Back in 2021, when he was hired at Alabama, O’Brien briefly overlapped with Jones during the pre-draft process. He told the Alabama media that the quarterback helped him learn Alabama’s offense.

“I think the most challenging thing for me was, when I came in here, learning this offense,” O’Brien said prior to the 2021 Cotton Bowl. “… I’ve said before, Mac Jones, when he was working out for the draft, helped me a little bit, which was great."

And now … the student becomes the teacher. 

I ask you sincerely, could this situation be playing out any more perfectly? O'Brien has coached this system at a high level. Jones has played in this system at a high level. They've already worked together, so that awkward phase of navigating the first few dates is behind them. They have the bond that comes from being two of the few people walking the planet who get to say they've worked with both Saban and Belichick. So they get to swap those war stories in between sessions of going over 3rd & long packages against Miami's defense. They have a handle on how well the other sees the field, breaks down film, grasps concepts, likes to adjust protections and audible calls based on what a defense is showing them. 

Perhaps more importantly, Jones has said any time he's been asked that he likes to be coached hard. And O'Brien has a history of proving he's also into the rough stuff:

So there's every reason to expect they'll have no issues when it comes to communication. Which already means the 2023 Patriots are improved over this:

And Jones seems to agree:

Obviously there's a long way to go in the offseason process. A lot of decisions to be made on current personnel and upgrading the talent level. But by far the single greatest question the 2023 Patriots face has already been asked and answered. Emphatically. Mac Jones is pumped and "very" excited? That makes millions of us.