If the Patriots allow Mac Jones to face pressure at the rate he did Saturday against the Packers, there’s a non-zero chance he will finish the season in a hospital bed.

But if Jones stares down that pressure, and beats it with the regularity he managed in Green Bay, the Pats should be playoff-bound.

This is the place Bill O’Brien’s offense finds itself through two preseason games: caught between the hope of Jones’ improvement under new coaching and the harsh reality that another free rusher is just around the corner. Both of the sacks Jones took in Saturday’s exhibition killed drives. Packers edge-rusher Kingsley Enagbare strong-armed his way into Jones’ lap on the first, then cracked him from behind with no notice on the second.

But around those sacks, Jones went 3-of-4 for 45 yards against pressure, per the Herald’s charting. On his final series, Jones hit rookie receiver Demario Douglas to convert on third-and-10, then lofted a 17-yard completion to Kendrick Bourne while falling away. His only misfire under pressure was a 50-yard bomb launched just beyond the outstretched arms of DeVante Parker.

As far as incompletions go, it was among the prettiest you’ll see. Jones climbed a collapsing pocket, cocked his arm and rifled a prayer downfield with no concern of incoming danger. For a quarterback who graded as the second-worst passer under pressure last season, per Pro Football Focus, the strides Jones took Saturday felt significant.

Defensively, the Pats went backwards. Bill Belichick’s pride and joy failed to register a single quarterback hit, let alone a sack, and got routinely washed out on running plays. Packers center Josh Myers drove nose tackle Davon Godchaux three yards past the line of scrimmage on the opening snap. Fellow D-linemen Christian Barmore, Lawrence Guy, Carl Davis and Sam Roberts were of little help from then on.

Of course, the greatest concern for the Patriots is the health of rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden. The seventh-rounder was released from a local hospital Sunday and flew home with the team. His timeline for a possible return is unclear.

While Bolden continues with his recovery, the Pats will begin preparations for Friday’s preseason finale at Tennessee. And they would be wise to apply the lessons learned over the weekend.

Here are the Herald’s complete film observations from Saturday’s win at Green Bay:

He’s back.

Bourne caught three passes for 34 yards and delivered a powerful run-block to help spring Rhamondre Stevenson for 23 yards in the first quarter, the longest run of the game. On his catches, Bourne won on a slant inside the red zone to set up an eventual touchdown, and skied for a third-down pass thrown high and slightly behind him. Bourne’s slow start to training camp feels like ages ago.

Two days earlier in a joint practice, Stevenson went 2-of-4 at the goal line against the Packers defense. On Saturday, he was perfect.

Stevenson powered through subpar blocking to score a 1-yard touchdown on the Pats’ opening drive. He also forced two missed tackles, more than any other ball-carrier on the team. Basically, Stevenson looked like the burgeoning star he is.

Taylor remains squarely on the roster bubble, perhaps even on the back end, but he helped his cause in Green Bay. The 5-foot-6 back caught three passes, tied for most on the team, and ran four times for 29 yards. He was elusive in space and helped restart a stalling Patriots in the second half.

Enagbare victimized Stueber on his second sack, tossing aside the 2022 seventh-round pick to reach Jones. Stueber all but fell over on the play, which followed a hurry he allowed earlier in the game. The Pats need more from their (likely temporary) backup left tackle.

No offensive lineman produced uglier tape than Ferentz, who typically provides a steadying veteran presence up front. He surrendered two run-stuffs, a quarterback hit and one hurry.

After starring in the Pats’ preseason opener, Roberts was a liability in Green Bay. He committed two penalties and was ridden out of his gap on a fourth-and-1 conversion in the second quarter.

Malik Mania took a major hit, with Cunningham dropping one of his five targets and failing to catch any of the other four. He struggled to separate on short, intermediate and deep routes and didn’t take any snaps as a quarterback.