The offensive line has done Jones no favors, and the running game is nearly non-existent, with their 3.4 yards per carry through Week 4 ranking 28th in the NFL.
Yet it was more than that on Sunday. Yes, the Cowboys brought consistent heat, but Jones fled several solid pockets, a clear sign of a QB not trusting his blocking to hold up. The mind-numbing decisions have mounted by the week, and there is no semblance of calmness in the pocket, confidence in letting it rip, or rhythm to the game for Jones.
Then there were the silly throws back across the field from the far hash Sunday. One he got away with, but then tried to go back to the well and threw a pick-six that essentially iced the game before halftime. Jones isn’t Josh Allen. O’Brien doesn’t need him to be.
“You always have to play mentally within yourself,” the OC said. “It doesn’t mean that you can’t take calculated risks; it just means that you have to do a really good job of making sure that you understand what we’re trying to do on every play and executing that play to the best of your ability at a high level, and take what the defense gives you.
“I would say, for the most part, Mac does that. We’re going to work really hard this week to improve some things.”
The Saints defense Jones faces in Week 5 is no walk in the park either. New Orleans just had its 11-game streak of allowing 20 points or fewer broken last week.