Mac Jones is officially 1-0 as the starting quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, and he wasn’t just carried by the team in the Week 2 win over the New Orleans Saints.
With the Niners winning 26-21, Jones completed 26-of-39 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns. While he didn’t throw any interceptions, Jones was sacked three times and fumbled the ball once.
Jones will have to do a better job of holding onto the ball, but it’s fair to say his performance eased fans’ minds who were worried about how San Francisco will look without Brock Purdy. While some critics may be inclined to say it was just the Saints, that doesn’t really matter since San Francisco isn’t facing any elite defenses in the next couple of weeks.
Mac Jones could keep shining for 49ers with upcoming schedule
In Week 3, San Francisco will face off against the Arizona Cardinals. While this NFC West matchup will take place between two 2-0 teams, the Cardinals won’t provide the stiffest defensive test. Through two weeks, Arizona is allowing 333.5 yards per game. Through the air, the Cardinals are giving up 255.5 passing yards a game, which ranks 26th in the league.
That means there will be plays for Jones to make, provided the injured Purdy remains out.
After that, if Purdy is still sidelined, Jones and the 49ers will play the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville has been average across the board, defensively, this season in the small two-game sample size, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jones play well against his former team.
Depending on how long Purdy is out for, Jones’ first real test may not come until Week 5, when the Niners play the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football. By that time, Jones could be truly comfortable in the offense and ready for whatever Los Angeles brings.
It’ll be interesting to see how he follows up on his Week 2 performance and if he can capitalize on this opportunity.