Comparison between Mac Jones and Josh Allen may predict where they're trending

Although we are all swiftly onto week two of the 2023 NFL season, there are still some things worth discussing regarding how the games unfolded last weekend.

Other than some of the more surprising aspects of week one, like the Chiefs losing at home and Aaron Rodgers suffering a season-ending injury, other hot topics have been the Patriots' loss to the Eagles and the utterly poor performance from Josh Allen on Monday Night Football.

Since he was drafted two years ago, Jones continues to be the most debated player on the roster no matter how well or not the team performed, and this latest loss has been treated no different. Because he threw a pick-six and could not lead a successful comeback in the fourth quarter, the discussion about his progression and development has dominated the airwaves over the last four days.

The conversation surrounding Allen is vastly different but also uncharacteristic for the quarterback since he's performed at a high level for the last three years.

The Monday night matchup was expected to be a thriller, with the reigning AFC East champions taking on the revitalized New York Jets since the arrival of Rodgers earlier this year. Unfortunately, that ended early due to the quarterback's first-quarter injury, and then the focus shifted to Allen's dreadful night.

The favorite to lead the Bills to another division title committed four total turnovers during the game: three interceptions (to the same Jets defender) and a fumble, all of which led to their eventual loss in overtime. It was an unexpected performance from Allen and has many people having heated debates over what this could mean for the young quarterback.

But to make matters more interesting, the Twitter account Boston Sports Info added some fuel to the fire since some points about Allen suggest he may be on a downward spiral in his career. Perhaps that's a premature argument to be made because it was just one game, but Boston Sports Info posted statistics that may prove that assumption to be more plausible than not.

In the tweet, he compared the last ten regular season games of Allen and Jones, and there is a noticeable difference between the two that plays in the Patriots' favor.

The first takeaway inevitably is that the two quarterbacks have not performed that differently, despite the narrative that one is a star and the other is a dud. Their stats are much closer than most likely assumed and prove that the universal portrayal of players isn't always accurate.

Of course, it is worth noting that the listed stats do not include one significant difference between Allen's and Jones' games: rushing stats and touchdowns. The Buffalo quarterback wins that by a mile, but the conversation about whether or not Jones could be (or should be) a more mobile quarterback is a discussion for another day.

So, looking at these stats for what they are, could this be a look into the quarterback's future?

Does Allen's performance on Monday indicate more than just one bad game, and is it actually a pattern we've all been seeing?

Maybe, or maybe not. However, it's an eye-opening comparison that should perhaps be talked about more since the way the pair are spoken of in the media and amongst fans is vastly different.