Week 7 Bama Pro of the Week: Mac Jones
Each week during the NFL regular season, I'll award one standout Alabama player of the week whose performance boosted his team to victory. The only criteria being his team must win. At the end of the season, I'll name the MVP and hand out a few other awards to recognize the excellence the Alabama Crimson Tide has present in the NFL.
With a league-best 55 (counting Jalen Hurts) active players under contract across 28 franchises, there are plenty of options to choose from. Here's this week's winner:
Mac Jones threw for a career-high 306 yards against the rival New York Jets, aiding his New England Patriots to the NFL's first 50-point performance of the 2021 season with his two touchdown passes.
Jones has had a great stretch of performances over the past month and ranks in the top-10 of most quarterback statistics through the first seven weeks of the season. To put a cap on what's been a strong October, Jones became just the fourth rookie quarterback to ever throw for at least 225 yards with a touchdown pass in five consecutive games.
Jones's efficiency has outweighed the flashier tools of the other four quarterbacks selected before him in the 2021 NFL Draft. Though he is in a more conservative offense that plays to his strengths, Jones is growing more and more comfortable and Sunday's performance against the Jets is a testament.
He completed all 11 of his passes over the middle against the Jets, who were without CJ Mosley, which is the most completions between the numbers without an incompletion by any professional quarterback over the past two seasons.
That said, he torched the Jets no matter where he was throwing the football.
Jones may not be in the Rookie of the Year conversation because of the likes of JaMarr Chase and Najee Harris, but he's at the very least making New England Patriots fans comfortable in their future and proving a lot of doubters wrong.
Next week Jones, alongside Christian Barmore and Damien Harris, will travel to play the Los Angeles Chargers, which doesn't roster any Alabama alumni.
Read More: Best Crimson Tide Performances from NFL Week Seven
And now for our honorable mentions:
- Damien Harris, Patriots: 14 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns with two receptions for seven yards.
- Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins: 30-42 passing for 291 yards and four touchdowns to two interceptions and four carries for 29 yards
- Jonathan Allen, Washington: Two tackles, both for loss as sacks, three QB hits overall.
- Derrick Henry, Titans: 29 carries for 86 yards and two receptions for 16 yards plus a 5-yard touchdown pass.
- Rashaan Evans, Titans: Four tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery.
- Marlon Humphrey, Ravens: Seven tackles, one interception and one forced fumble
- Kenyan Drake, Raiders: 14 carries for 69 yards and one touchdown and three receptions for 10 yards.
- Jalen Hurts, Eagles: 18-34 passing for 236 yards, and two touchdowns and 13 carries for 61 yards with a fumble lost.
Be sure to tune back into tide1009.com each Tuesday to see the Bama Pro of the Week throughout the NFL season. Here's each winner from the 2021 season so far:
Week 1 Bama Pro of the Week: Jalen Hurts
Week 2 Bama Pro of the Week: Derrick Henry
Week 3 Bama Pro of the Week: Trevon Diggs
Week 4 Bama Pro of the Week: CJ Mosley
Week 5 Bama Pro of the Week: Najee Harris
Week 6: Bama Pro of the Week: Derrick Henry