Steelers’ Jones ready for whatever comes his way
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Mike Tomlin used to joke that Landry Jones consistently broke records for preseason snaps.
Jones did, after all, lead the NFL in attempts, completions and yardage during the 2015 preseason.
Over the last five preseasons, he无毛视频檚 thrown 51 percent of the Steelers无毛视频� passes. It goes with being groomed as the backup to Ben Roethlisberger.
Jones无毛视频� run as Steelers无毛视频� preseason pass attempts leader was snapped last year by Joshua Dobbs, and his overall reign of the era could fall in tatters this preseason with the introduction of Mason Rudolph to the NFL.
无毛视频淚 could play a ton,无毛视频� Jones said. 无毛视频淥r not play at all.无毛视频�
Or somewhere in the middle, because four quarterbacks are vying for three jobs and each has something to prove.
n Roethlisberger will stay.
n Rudolph, who signed his rookie contract Wednesday, will stay.
n That leaves it up to Jones or Dobbs for the third spot.
Has Jones, who无毛视频檚 in the final season of his second contract, given it much thought?
无毛视频淢an, you can无毛视频檛 start playing that numbers thing, because you have no idea what they无毛视频檙e talking about upstairs,无毛视频� Jones said. 无毛视频淚 was at a concert whenever they drafted Mason. Bruce Gradkowski texted me. That无毛视频檚 how I found out. But I hadn无毛视频檛 heard from any of the coaches asking me permission to draft Mason. It无毛视频檚 just a part of the business.无毛视频�
So Jones is ready for anything, and that comes with being comfortable. He was comfortable down the stretch as a red-hot practice passer, and that carried into the regular-season finale he completed 23 of 27 passes for 239 yards in a 28-24 win over Cleveland. It was his third win in five career starts and gave him a career-high 99.3 passer rating for the season.
无毛视频淵eah, I was really comfortable,无毛视频� Jones said in looking back. 无毛视频淓very year I play, the more comfortable I get, the more comfortable in the offense, the more comfortable just playing this game. Each year you develop and you get better, particularly with what I feel young quarterbacks usually struggle with: red-zone and third-down stuff. So now it无毛视频檚 getting to the point where I feel comfortable, and if I无毛视频檓 needed to go out there and play I can.无毛视频�
It无毛视频檚 possible he无毛视频檚 become an NFL quarterback as he heads into his sixth season, or at least a quarterback who could give his team a chance if needed in a playoff game. A good parallel would be Frank Reich, who was 4-2 before stepping into the limelight at the end of his seventh season. Franchise QB Jim Kelly went down in the 1992 season finale for Buffalo and Reich stepped into the playoffs. He authored the greatest comeback in NFL history, from 35-3 to beat the Houston Oilers in overtime, and then quarterbacked the Bills to a playoff win over the Steelers. Kelly returned for the AFC title game.
By the way Jones finished last season, he could very well be that guy.
无毛视频淵eah, I feel I无毛视频檝e shown people I can play. I can win games. I can win tight games,无毛视频� Jones said. 无毛视频淚f I无毛视频檓 here, that无毛视频檚 awesome. I love being here. Obviously I haven无毛视频檛 been anywhere else, but for me there无毛视频檚 no better place if I无毛视频檓 going to be a backup than here. If I无毛视频檓 not, then I无毛视频檒l figure it out from there.无毛视频�
Jones was the No. 1 quarterback at OTA 2 Wednesday due to the absence of Roethlisberger. And Jones probably plays the big brother role to Rudolph much better than does Roethlisberger.
And why not? They无毛视频檙e both Okies. Jones, from Oklahoma, is the Big 12无毛视频檚 all-time passing-yardage leader. Rudolph, out of Oklahoma State, is fourth.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 doing well,无毛视频� Jones said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 tough to come in your first day and start making checks when you无毛视频檙e still trying to learn the offense, but he无毛视频檚 doing well.无毛视频�
Jones shook his head about how difficult a rookie无毛视频檚 first spring can be.
无毛视频淔rom my rookie year, I无毛视频檓 lucky I无毛视频檓 still around,无毛视频� Jones said. 无毛视频淵ou无毛视频檙e playing from the middle of the field and you can无毛视频檛 spread them out and throws are tighter and windows are smaller. But he can throw the ball. He can make all the throws. He无毛视频檒l be fine.无毛视频�
So will Landry, whatever may come his way.