Damien Woody endorses Mac Jones in 2023 but calls it a ‘critical year’
"If he doesn't bounce back and make significant improvement, then I think there's going to be a quarterback situation in New England next year."
The Red Sox defeated the Royals 4-3 on Wednesday. The two teams play again this evening in the four-game series finale at 7:10 p.m.
Also tonight, the Patriots kick off the preseason at Gillette Stadium against the Texans at 7 p.m.
Damien Woody on Mac Jones: Heading into the Patriots’ 2023 season, the pressure continues to build on third-year quarterback Mac Jones.
Though he had a strong rookie campaign, Jones regressed in 2022 under a new offensive coaching staff.
Expectations are brewing for a bounce-back season, however, with Bill O’Brien officially running the Patriots’ offense. Yet should Jones struggle again, it could spell the beginning of the end of his time in New England, according to former Patriots offensive lineman Damien Woody.
“I know that Bill Belichick didn’t do Mac Jones any favors last year by the coaching staff that he surrounded [Jones] with, but I think this is a critical year for [Jones],” Woody said during a Thursday morning “Get Up!” segment on ESPN. “Obviously we know that they brought in Bill O’Brien. If [Jones] doesn’t bounce back and make significant improvement, then I think there’s going to be a quarterback situation in New England next year.”
Still, Woody doesn’t think all is lost for the Patriots. On the contrary, he gave a fairly emphatic endorsement.
“I think he’s going to have a pretty damn good year,” Woody said. “Bill O’Brien is going to make everything make sense, offensively. Last year, there was just so much confusion, and you could see it come out on the sidelines. I think Bill O’Brien is going to put an end to all of that.”
Jones was selected 15th overall in 2021 by the Patriots. He threw 22 touchdowns as a rookie and completed 67.6 percent of his passes. A year ago, his numbers dipped across the board as New England struggled to consistently generate offense.
Trivia: As of the win on Wednesday night, Kenley Jansen now has 11 MLB seasons with at least 25 saves. According to Red Sox postgame notes, this ties him with John Franco for the fourth most number of seasons fitting that criteria. Can you name the three closers who are ahead of them on the list? They had 13, 14, and 16 seasons with at least 25 saves, respectively.
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: All three are in the Hall of Fame. One pitched for the Red Sox from 1988-1990. One pitched for the same team for all 19 seasons of his career. The third made his MLB debut in the Marlins’ 1993 inaugural season before being traded (in a deal that sent Gary Sheffield in return) to the team with which he would record 552 of his 601 career saves.
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A bizarre moment at Fenway: Masataka Yoshida leapt to try to make a catch in front of the Green Monster on Wednesday, but was baffled when he couldn’t find the ball. As it turned out, the ball crashed through a light in the scoreboard.
On this day: In 1960, Ted Williams hit two home runs and added a double to help the Red Sox defeat Cleveland, 6-1. The first of his home runs was the 512th of his career, sending Williams past Mel Ott into fourth place on the all-time list.
The more dramatic news came after the game, when the 41-year-old announced he was retiring at the end of the season.
“This is my last year,” Williams said when asked if he had a chance to catch Jimmie Foxx (at 534 career home runs). “I’ll play the rest of the year and that’s it.”
It was a statement that caught some by surprise, given Williams remained an exceptional hitter. Even at the end of his career, the veteran outfielder was still hitting with a .313/.460//682 slash line. But “The Kid” had made up his mind, and wouldn’t alter his plan over mere sentiment.
“Gods do not answer letters,” John Updike would note of Williams refusing a curtain call after his poetic final game several weeks later. He waved away questions about his decision with a typically laconic reply.
“I want to quit with a good year, and this is it.”
Daily highlight: Austin Hays pulled a home run back for the Orioles on Wednesday.
Trivia answer: Lee Smith (13), Trevor Hoffman (14), Mariano Rivera (16)
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