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, bearing on quite a lot of matters resembling his Week 1 efficiency towards the Eagles, Tom Brady’s return to Gillette Stadium and way more.
Listed here are a number of highlights from Jones’ prolonged radio interview:
Jones assesses Week 1 efficiency
Within the quick aftermath of Sunday’s 25-20 loss to the Eagles, Jones strode as much as the rostrum at Gillette Stadium and shouldered a lot 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 might’t do it. You’ve simply obtained to study from it. You solely get so many alternatives within the NFL to try this, and I felt like I undoubtedly let the crew 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 job 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’ remaining stat line on Sunday confirmed that he was removed from a detriment to his crew in what was in the end a aggressive recreation.
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 recreation.
Talking on WEEI Monday, Jones acknowledged that there have been a number of extra positives to attract from Week 1 upon additional evaluation, even when the consequence remained the identical.
“We undoubtedly watched the movie and I discovered 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 , on the finish of the day, the one factor that issues is profitable.”
The expensive interception looms giant in what was a five-point recreation, however Jones admitted that New England’s improved play as Sunday’s recreation 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 sort of run the system that we have now,” Jones mentioned of New England’s second-quarter changes. “I feel there’s solutions within the system. It wasn’t like there have been breakdowns within the system. We simply sort of observe your guidelines and generally it really works out and generally it doesn’t.
“However when you’ve a system in place that , ‘Alright, that is the place I’m speculated to look, right here’s the place I begin,’ finally you’re gonna get rolling. And from there, you simply need to proceed. However opening day … it’s all the time gonna be just a little sloppy at first and then you definately sort of determine it out. So undoubtedly discovered 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 towards Philadelphia, his head coach Invoice Belichick supplied some phrases of encouragement throughout his deal with to the media on Monday morning.
“Effectively, look, I feel all people did a variety of good issues within the recreation,” Belichick mentioned. “And I’m certain all people feels the identical approach that Mac does, that if we had all carried out one or two issues just a little bit higher, it may’ve made a distinction.”
“So, I’m certain all people feels the identical approach that Mac does,” Belichick continued. “Each participant and coach that participated within the recreation. That mentioned, there have been a variety of – there have been positives within the recreation that we have now to construct on, however in the long run, any of us may have helped just a little bit extra, and it might need made a distinction. I feel everyone knows how Mac feels. All of us really feel the identical approach.”
Combing by way of movie stands as an anticipated post-game train for all gamers within the NFL. However with Belichick, Jones values his coach’s means to interrupt down performs and sequences from varied views throughout the soccer subject.
“Positively discovered 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 information than him. He is aware of every part about protection and offense and particular groups. So that you sort of get the total image. It’s like a health care provider who can do each sort of medication. So it’s fairly cool.”
Staying off the turf
Many Patriots followers anticipated the worst on Sunday as quickly as New England’s inactives listing dropped.
The Patriots had been already going to have their fingers full with an Eagles cross rush that led the NFL with 70.0 sacks final season. However the job of conserving Jones off the turf grew to become much more daunting after beginning guards in Mike Onwenu (ankle) and Cole Unusual (knee) had been dominated out of Sunday’s recreation.
New England slotted in rookies Sidy Sow and Atonio Mafi at these two vacancies at guard, whereas veteran Calvin Anderson began at proper sort out regardless of lacking all of coaching camp and preseason motion as a consequence 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 cross safety.
Philadelphia solely recorded two sacks towards 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 excellent job all week working towards that approach they usually simply gotta stick with it, proper? Simply proceed to chase that customary that we attempt to set.”
The Patriots will additional profit when each Unusual and Onwenu return, particularly by way of bolstering a run recreation that averaged simply 3.5 yards per rush try towards Philly.
Nonetheless, Jones was impressed by the play of an offensive line that threw two rookies into crucial roles of their NFL debuts.
“I really feel like, on the finish of the day, I’ve confidence in all people, I actually do, due to the usual that individuals are making an attempt to set in every room,” Jones mentioned. “And people guys — rookies on either 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 stream. However I really feel like we did as the sport went on and simply tried to study from it.”
Brady’s return
Sunday additionally marked Tom Brady’s return to Gillette Stadium, with the legendary QB honored throughout a halftime ceremony. In the course of the festivities, Robert Kraft introduced that Brady might be inducted into the Patriots Corridor of Fame throughout a particular ceremony at Gillette Stadium on June 12, 2024.
“I assumed 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 gained. Bummed we couldn’t pull it out for him however undoubtedly felt prefer it was a very good day for him and his household. And I’m certain there was a variety of emotion and stuff concerned. However I really feel like he did an excellent job.”
Shifting ahead
Regardless of some constructive good points made on offense and a stout exhibiting on protection, Jones and the Patriots aren’t falling again on ethical victories in a recreation the place they got here up brief in a one-score recreation.
“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. “Plenty of them have been one-score video games. So simply making an attempt to enhance on that. And generally 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 approach, finally. Simply need to sort of not take note of the noise and simply proceed to work.”
However with a key divisional matchup towards the Dolphins set for Sunday evening in Foxborough, Jones nonetheless has loads of confidence on this Patriots roster to begin flipping the end result of those shut video games.
“I feel we have now a very good group, obtained good coaches, obtained an excellent 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 outdated guys, chiming in, younger guys chiming in. So everybody’s working collectively. That’s the essential half.”
Publication Signup
Keep updated on all the most recent information from Boston.com