If there was any doubt about Mac Jones before, there is certainly none now. The 6-foot-3, 217-pound Alabama alum has proven that he has all the makings to be the next New England superstar and reignite the Patriots dynasty which has laid dormant in the brief time since the departure of Tom Brady.

Since the beginning of the season, there was significant skepticism—from myself included—regarding the early success Jones was finding within the Patriots’ offense. Yes, Jones is definitely a talented quarterback, but what talented player wouldn’t thrive under the Patriots’ regime? Over the years, Bill Belichick has carefully orchestrated a system that would allow any solid player to step into the QB role seamlessly. Ultimately, it was unfair to compare Jones' performance to that of fellow rookie quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson, who had the unfortunate luck of inheriting the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets, respectively.

I am not trying to say that Jones will become the next Brady, but now 10 weeks into the 2021 season, it is time to give credit where credit is due: Mac Jones is playing really well. His days with training wheels are no longer as Jones has begun his transformation into a team leader.

Despite his known weakness in mobility and a lack of arm strength, the 23-year-old has displayed great poise, accuracy, and exercised good decision-making skills. Jones excels within the short passing game, and the Patriots have capitalized on this. Jones continues to exhibit the qualities of a great player and leader—all of which could not be measured by any combine.

Jones accounts for 2,333 yards thus far with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. From an accuracy perspective, Jones averages an impressive 69% completion rate. No other rookie QB in the 2021 draft class is putting up stats even close to that. Despite playing for less equipped teams, the greatest players make those around them better. Week in and week out, Jones is displaying exponential growth with no intention of slowing down any time soon.

Jones had his much-awaited breakout game against the Cleveland Browns this past Sunday. The rookie was electric, completing 19-of-23 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns. Jones led the Patriots, now 6-4, to a stomping 45-7 victory and continued New England’s four-game winning streak.

Jones and the Patriots will go head-to-head against Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Under the guide of Jones, the Patriots’ offense has hit its stride. On the other side, the Patriots boast one of the best defenses in the league. All in all, the Falcons will be gearing up for a long night.

While Jones’ success is somewhat surprising to most, looking back on the Alabama alum’s history, maybe we underestimated Jones’ ability and should have expected more from the No. 15 overall draft pick. In his final season with Alabama, Jones led the team to an undefeated 14-0 season and, oh, just happened to pick up a national championship along the way. In the 14 games that comprised his senior season, Jones completed 77.4% of passes and accounted for a staggering 4,500 total yards.

Jones is full of untapped potential. Only time will tell what the rookie is capable of, but based on his most recent performances, it is looking good.