Mac Jones Doesn’t Handle The Blitz Well
October 12th, 2025
Devious blitzes coming?
It seems like Mac Jones may be walking into a minefield.
With Brock Purdy out for today’s 49ers-Bucs game, San Francisco turns to Mac Jones. The former Belicheats first-round pick looked really good against the Rams in Week 5, despite getting beat to hell.
But it seems, per the stats dug up by Rich Hribar of Sharp Football Analysis, Jones seems to wilt under a blitz.
And guess who likes to blitz?
[W]hen Jones has been blitzed, he has completed only 54.2 percent of his passes (28th) for 5.1 yards per pass attempt (29th) and 9.5 yards per completion (30th).
When pressured, Jones has thrown for 5.1 yards per attempt, 25th in the league.
On the flip side is the mad blitzer, Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
The Buccaneers are blitzing 34 percent of the time (6th in the league).
When the Bucs do blitz, they have a 53.1 percent pressure rate on blitzes, third in the league.
So the way Jones was pounded by the Rams a week ago last Thursday, and twice needed help getting off the field, is Jones going to be gun-shy when he sees a blitz?
We’ll find out in a few hours.
Joe does know he asked Jamel Dean this week about Jones, who the Bucs faced in 2021 when he played for New England and the Bucs, behind Tom Brady beat Jones and the Belicheats.
Dean said it doesn’t make much of a difference playing Purdy or Jones. Why? 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan will run the same offense, Dean said.
And Dean added, Jones was a first-round pick for a reason: He’s talented.