JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – When the Jacksonville Jaguars traded a sixth-round pick for quarterback Mac Jones last offseason, the plan was for him to be Trevor Lawrence’s replacement. And he did – until Lawrence suffered shoulder and head injuries.

But with Lawrence out for the rest of the season, Jones now finds himself in an opportunistic situation. The 2021 No. 10 overall pick is in the final season of his rookie contract and will become an unrestricted free agent in March. Now he has the opportunity to put together a solid audition for his next contract if he plays well.

“Everyone tries to play well in every game, and my goal is to focus on this week,” Jones said as the Jaguars prepared for Sunday’s game at the Las Vegas Raiders (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS). “I’ve done that really well in the past and I need to get back to fundamental quarterbacking. It’s just the simple things, going through my reads, taking advantage of what the defense is giving me and leading the team down the field.”

“I try to focus on the now and the present. … I understand this league is about opportunity and we have a great one this week.”

In his first four starts, in which the Jaguars are 1-3, and three substitute appearances, Jones has completed 65.7% of his passes for 1,026 yards and four touchdowns with seven interceptions.

That’s not exactly an impressive record for the former first-round pick, who fell out of favor in New England, spent the final six games of 2023 on the bench and then was traded in March.

But last Sunday there was a slight improvement.

During Jones’ first three starts – losses to Minnesota and Detroit and a win against Tennessee – the Jaguars combined for 23 points. Last week against the New York Jets, they scored 25 points in the loss.

Jones threw for a season-high 294 yards — the most passing yards he has had since the 2023 season opener with the Patriots — and led the Jaguars to their first opening touchdown since Week 13 of last season, a span of 19 games.

“What you saw in Sunday’s game (shows where Jones’ improvement is): His decision-making, getting the ball out of his hands, knowing exactly where to go, understanding the offense, understanding the route combinations against the defense, easy.” “We’re taking another step in that direction,” said head coach Doug Pederson.

“He’s been learning a new offense all year and now he gets a chance to play and run the show. I just understand what we’re asking him to do – we’re not going to yell and scream at him – he can just go play and do his deal and lead the football team.

But Jones also threw two bad interceptions on Sunday – the final one with 37 seconds left in the game, ending any chance of a game-winning field goal – and was himself sacked when he went out of bounds in the Jets’ 12-yard line for one 7 yard loss instead of throwing the ball away.

He also had difficulty throwing the ball down the field. According to ESPN research, Jones has completed one of 19 passes for 21 yards with five interceptions on throws of 20 or more yards through the air.

Jones knows he has to be better to suit up for his next team, but he doesn’t want to focus on 2025 just yet.

“I’m taking it one day at a time,” he said. “…It’s in the games, it’s in training, it’s everything in between. I think that’s when I’m at my best, just go out, have fun, play around and that’s what I’ll continue to do.” .

“I think sometimes you put so much emphasis on one particular play in a game, and really they’re just plays. You can’t see it, whether it’s the first drive of the game or the last drive, you have that. “You just have to go out there and play and do your job, then that’s really all you can ask of yourself.

Two of the Jaguars’ three remaining opponents feature some of the best defenses in the league. The Raiders rank 12th in total defense and ninth against the pass, while Tennessee ranks second in total defense and third against the pass. The outlier is Indianapolis, which ranks 28th in total defense and 23rd in passing defense. So if Jones can play well, especially against the Raiders and Titans (December 29), he would make a good impression.

“I don’t even know that that necessarily needs to be said,” offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. “Your resume is your tape… Everyone wants to do their best. At the same time, I think the guys are doing a great job when you’re in season, it’s just week to week. You don’t.” Ever really lift your head up and think about what’s next or what happened. If you do that, you will fall behind, and you can’t do that when the game comes on Sunday.

Taylor is the fifth offensive coordinator Jones has had in his four seasons in the NFL, a list that includes defensive coach Matt Patricia and special teams coach Joe Judge as co-coordinators in New England in 2022. And while that’s not exactly ideal, Taylor said it can also be a positive because it exposes Jones to different offenses, installation methods and personalities.

No matter how long his stay in Jacksonville lasts – three more weeks or possibly another year if he and the Jaguars agree to him staying on as Lawrence’s backup – Jones is just focused on enjoying the final three games, while playing for his hometown team.

“I’ve been lucky enough to be here and make a lot of great friends, coaches, players and people in the building that I’ve known for a long time, which is kind of fun,” Jones said. “So I’m just going to finish this thing and hope everyone else does the same. I know they will.”