Patriots
“As they all the time say, by no means as unhealthy or by no means nearly as good as you assume.”
Patriots QB Mac Jones appeared on WEEI’s “Jones & Mego” show on Monday evening, referring to quite a lot of matters reminiscent of his Week 1 efficiency in opposition to the Eagles, Tom Brady’s return to Gillette Stadium and rather more.
Listed here are a number of highlights from Jones’ prolonged radio interview:
Jones assesses Week 1 efficiency
Within the rapid aftermath of Sunday’s 25-20 loss to the Eagles, Jones strode as much as the rostrum at Gillette Stadium and shouldered many of the blame for New England’s Week 1 defeat.
“They gave me the ball twice to win the sport, and I couldn’t do it,” Jones mentioned postgame. “I’ve simply obtained to return and watch and see what I can do higher, however as a quarterback, that hurts, proper? You get an opportunity to win the sport twice and may’t do it. You’ve simply obtained to be taught from it. You solely get so many alternatives within the NFL to try this, and I felt like I undoubtedly let the staff down.”
It was a brutal begin for Jones on a wet Foxborough subject, with New England’s first drive ending on a excessive throw from the Patriots QB. Kendrick Bourne was unable to reel within the catch, with the ball bouncing off his fingers earlier than Eagles CB Darius Slay reeled it in en path to a 70-yard, pick-six play.
Jones additionally took himself to process within the fourth quarter, with New England unable to orchestrate a game-winning drive within the closing minutes after the Patriots’ protection compelled two turnovers off a fumble restoration and a fourth-down cease.
Nonetheless, Jones’ closing stat line on Sunday confirmed that he was removed from a detriment to his staff in what was finally a aggressive sport.
Jones completed 35-of-54 for 316 passing yards, throwing for 3 touchdowns and one interception. It was the primary time in his NFL profession that he recorded each three TDs and surpassed 300 passing yards in the identical sport.
Talking on WEEI Monday, Jones acknowledged that there have been a number of extra positives to attract from Week 1 upon additional overview, even when the end result remained the identical.
“We undoubtedly watched the movie and I realized loads from watching it,” Jones mentioned. “And as they all the time say, by no means as unhealthy or by no means nearly as good as you assume. However you understand, on the finish of the day, the one factor that issues is profitable.”
The pricey interception looms massive in what was a five-point sport, however Jones admitted that New England’s improved play as Sunday’s sport went on provides hope for extra consistency within the upcoming weeks.
As soon as trailing 16-0 on the finish of the primary quarter, Jones and the Patriots rattled off 14 unanswered factors within the following body off of landing throws to Hunter Henry and Kendrick Bourne.
“Actually simply stick with the course and form of run the system that we now have,” Jones mentioned of New England’s second-quarter changes. “I believe there’s solutions within the system. It wasn’t like there have been breakdowns within the system. We simply form of observe your guidelines and typically it really works out and typically it doesn’t.
“However when you may have a system in place that you understand, ‘Alright, that is the place I’m presupposed to look, right here’s the place I begin,’ ultimately you’re gonna get rolling. And from there, you simply must proceed. However opening day … it’s all the time gonna be a bit sloppy at first and then you definitely form of determine it out. So undoubtedly realized loads there simply to try to climate the storm — actually, I assume, too, it was raining as effectively.”
The physician is in with Invoice Belichick
Regardless of Jones’ harsh evaluation of his play in opposition to Philadelphia, his head coach Invoice Belichick supplied some phrases of encouragement throughout his deal with to the media on Monday morning.
“Properly, look, I believe everyone did quite a lot of good issues within the sport,” Belichick mentioned. “And I’m certain everyone feels the identical means that Mac does, that if we had all carried out one or two issues a bit bit higher, it might’ve made a distinction.”
“So, I’m certain everyone feels the identical means that Mac does,” Belichick continued. “Each participant and coach that participated within the sport. That mentioned, there have been quite a lot of – there have been positives within the sport that we now have to construct on, however ultimately, any of us might have helped a bit bit extra, and it might need made a distinction. I believe everyone knows how Mac feels. All of us really feel the identical means.”
Combing by means of movie stands as an anticipated post-game train for all gamers within the NFL. However with Belichick, Jones values his coach’s skill to interrupt down performs and sequences from numerous views throughout the soccer subject.
“Positively realized loads from him,” Jones mentioned of Belichick. “He’s nice at what he does. Explaining the defensive facet is what I all the time take away from it as effectively, since you’re not going to get a greater supply of data than him. He is aware of every little thing about protection and offense and particular groups. So that you form of get the complete image. It’s like a health care provider who can do each sort of drugs. So it’s fairly cool.”
Staying off the turf
Many Patriots followers anticipated the worst on Sunday as quickly as New England’s inactives checklist dropped.
The Patriots had been already going to have their fingers full with an Eagles move rush that led the NFL with 70.0 sacks final season. However the process of protecting Jones off the turf turned much more daunting after beginning guards in Mike Onwenu (ankle) and Cole Unusual (knee) had been dominated out of Sunday’s sport.
New England slotted in rookies Sidy Sow and Atonio Mafi at these two vacancies at guard, whereas veteran Calvin Anderson began at proper deal with regardless of lacking all of coaching camp and preseason motion because of a non-football sickness.
Regardless of the Patriots’ shorthanded personnel on the O-line, New England’s shortcomings on Sunday had little to do with move safety.
Philadelphia solely recorded two sacks in opposition to Jones, each of which got here within the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.
“It was actually good. I imply, the 2 sacks I took had been my fault,” Jones mentioned of the offensive line. “So actually, we had no sacks and I felt like they did an awesome job all week working towards that means they usually simply gotta stick with it, proper? Simply proceed to chase that commonplace that we attempt to set.”
The Patriots will additional profit when each Unusual and Onwenu return, particularly by way of bolstering a run sport that averaged simply 3.5 yards per rush try in opposition to Philly.
Nonetheless, Jones was impressed by the play of an offensive line that threw two rookies into vital roles of their NFL debuts.
“I really feel like, on the finish of the day, I’ve confidence in everyone, I actually do, due to the usual that persons are making an attempt to set in every room,” Jones mentioned. “And people guys — rookies on each side of the ball — and younger gamers performed very well.
“And for the older guys who haven’t performed soccer in a few months, simply making an attempt to get again into rhythm and get right into a circulate. However I really feel like we did as the sport went on and simply tried to be taught from it.”
Brady’s return
Sunday additionally marked Tom Brady’s return to Gillette Stadium, with the legendary QB honored throughout a halftime ceremony. Throughout the festivities, Robert Kraft introduced that Brady shall be inducted into the Patriots Corridor of Fame throughout a particular ceremony at Gillette Stadium on June 12, 2024.
“I believed yesterday was superior for him and his household,” Jones mentioned of Brady’s return. “That was cool to see. Simply what he’s carried out for this group and all of the video games he’s received. Bummed we couldn’t pull it out for him however undoubtedly felt prefer it was day for him and his household. And I’m certain there was quite a lot of emotion and stuff concerned. However I really feel like he did an awesome job.”
Shifting ahead
Regardless of some optimistic good points made on offense and a stout exhibiting on protection, Jones and the Patriots aren’t falling again on ethical victories in a sport the place they got here up quick in a one-score sport.
“It’s a must to have a look at all of the video games that we’ve performed the previous couple of years,” Jones mentioned. “Lots of them have been one-score video games. So simply making an attempt to enhance on that. And typically it’s out of your management, however actually simply making an attempt to get higher. We’ve been engaged on it, it’s gonna go our means, ultimately. Simply must form of not take note of the noise and simply proceed to work.”
However with a key divisional matchup in opposition to the Dolphins set for Sunday evening in Foxborough, Jones nonetheless has loads of confidence on this Patriots roster to start out flipping the end result of those shut video games.
“I believe we now have group, obtained good coaches, obtained an awesome protection, nice particular groups, and simply obtained to go on the market and actually simply put extra factors on the board and simply proceed to work,” Jones mentioned. “I imply, that’s all you are able to do.
“And I do know, like I mentioned, we’re working collectively. Everybody’s speaking in there, making an attempt to get higher. We obtained previous guys, chiming in, younger guys chiming in. So everybody’s working collectively. That’s the essential half.”
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