Mac Jones shows bright future with New England Patriots, carves up Cleveland Browns

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When he was drafted 15th overall in the NFL Draft in April, Mac Jones' confident strut to the stage resulted in a meme.

On Sunday, the rookie quarterback for the New England Patriots got the last laugh. The meme became "the man," as a self-assured Jones carved apart the Cleveland Browns in a 45-7 win for the Pats.

The 23-year-old QB had his best game as a pro, finishing 19-for-23 for 198 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions before giving way to backup Brian Hoyer for mop-up duty in the fourth quarter.

His 142.1 passer rating far exceeded his previous career-high of 118.9, set in Week 6 in a 35-29 overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

The three touchdowns on Sunday also represented a career-best, as did his eye-popping 82.6% completion percentage. Wideout Kendrick Bourne was the biggest beneficiary of New England's seven pass-catchers, hauling in four receptions for 98 yards and one picture-perfect touchdown from Jones.

That pitch-and-catch capped a 99-yard drive for the Patriots, giving New England a 21-7 lead with 5:46 left in the second quarter. The Pats owned a commanding 24-7 lead heading into the half, with Jones operating with machinelike efficiency.

At the break, Jones had as many incompletions as he did touchdowns — two.

With another strike in the third quarter — this time to tight end Hunter Henry, who had two scores on the day — Jones became the first Patriots rookie QB with three-plus passing TDs in a single game since Drew Bledsoe in 1994.

After a 2-4 start to the season, the Patriots have won four straight for the first time since 2019 to move to 6-4.

The quarterback in that 2019 season? Tom Brady, of course, the legend whom head coach Bill Belichick and Patriots fans everywhere hope Jones can adequately replace.

Jones has a long way to go to fill the GOAT's shoes, but he made a lot of people believers with his performance against Cleveland.

Furthermore, Jones has strung together multiple strong outings. During New England's current four-game winning streak, the rookie is 73-for-112 (65.2%) for 861 yards, six TDs, one interception and a passer rating of 102.6. 

Calling him the second coming of Brady might be a touch premature, but could any quarterback reasonably fit that bill?

Jones is showing promise, that much is for sure. And his draft-day confidence wasn't misplaced.

Here is how social media reacted to Jones going off against the Browns: