FOXBORO — With 1:55 remaining Sunday, Mac Jones hopped off the Gillette Stadium turf unable to place any weight on his left leg.
Ravens defensive lineman Calais Campbell had simply smashed him within the pocket, inflicting Jones to badly twist an ankle on the quarterback’s remaining snap of the sport. Jones’ move had settled into the arms of Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters for yet one more interception. Meanwhile, Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, the league’s premier dual-threat quarterback, returned to the sector to kneel the clock out, jogging, leaping and celebrating as he happy.
The Ravens had delivered a knockout blow within the newest installment of one of many NFL’s most bodily rivalries, and hit so arduous that they had the Pats punching themselves.
The Patriots dropped a 37-26 resolution of their house opener, an effort undone by 4 sloppy turnovers and leaky protection. Jackson carved Bill Belichick’s protection up for 5 touchdowns, going 18-of-29 for 218 yards and 4 scores by the air, with one other landing and 107 extra yards on the bottom. Jones accomplished 22 of 32 passes for 321 yards, however tossed three interceptions and 0 touchdowns for the primary time in his profession.
According to the NFL Network, post-game X-rays on Jones’ left ankle returned detrimental. Jones didn’t sit for a post-game press convention, however is predicted to talk with reporters Monday. It is unknown how a lot time, if any, the quarterback will miss.
“It’s tough,” Pats captain and security Devin McCourty stated post-game. “You ask (about)f level of concern, I have no idea because I know if he has something he can go and play with, he’s going to play with it. We’ll have to see what it is and go from there as a team. I think we’ll continue to rally around him.”
Even if Jones can return for subsequent Sunday’s kickoff at Green Bay, it might not matter if the Pats protection can plug the holes Jackson uncovered.
The Ravens piled up 188 dashing yards at 7.2 yards per carry and scored on 4 straight possessions round halftime. All-Pro tight finish Mark Andrews, a participant Belichick highlighted this week and was a focus of the Pats’ defensive plan, grabbed eight passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns, all crew highs. Baltimore (2-1) punted simply as soon as over its final 9 drives.
Offensively, the Patriots (1-2) saved tempo within the yards division with 447, however they closed the sport with three straight turnovers: two Jones interceptions round Nelson Agholor’s fumble in Ravens territory with 5:35 remaining and a 5-point deficit.
“You’re not going to win turning the ball over in the fourth quarter,” Belichick stated. “You’re behind, you got to be aggressive. But still on those, we got to do a better job than we did on those plays, for sure.”
Seven performs after Agholor’s fumble, a stretch that included a 35-yard Jackson move and 20-yard Jackson run, the previous MVP breezed in with a 9-yard landing run at three minutes to go. Jones obtained harm on the following drive.
“That’s the thing when playing against (Jackson): stat-wise, overall, (it) can look like you did some good things, but he changes games with a couple different plays,” McCourty stated. “Some of those QB run plays at the end of the game were huge for them, changing the field, big gains.”
Jones’ remaining move was meant for Kendrick Bourne, one in every of two dependable Patriots targets all sport. The different, DeVante Parker, broke out 5 catches for 156 yards. The Patriots additionally ran for 145, with Rhamondre Stevenson (73 yards) and Damien Harris (41 yards) splitting duties within the backfield.
The Ravens struck first on a 5-yard shovel-pass landing to Andrews late within the first quarter. Andrews coasted throughout the objective line due to a Mack Wilson missed sort out on the left finish, one of some defensive lapses that prolonged Baltimore’s drive to 11 performs and 69 yards.
The Patriots answered by kicking a 35-yard area objective on the primary snap of the second quarter. The area objective clinched an NFL file for Nick Folk, who has made 57 straight makes an attempt below 50 yards. Three snaps earlier, an Isaiah Wynn holding penalty killed what had been a promising drive that reached the pink zone thanks largely to a 40-yard catch by Parker.
Emboldened by the rating, the Patriots protection dominated Baltimore over its subsequent two possessions that sandwiched a New England turnover on downs. Veteran nook Jonathan Jones killed the second collection selecting off an errant Jackson move on third-and-16 close to midfield.
Taking a cue from Stevenson, who lined 24 yards on three hand-offs, Mac Jones scrambled for the primary dashing landing of his profession and a 10-7 lead. Jones darted up the center of a roomy pocket and spun out of a Josh Bynes sort out on the objective line, earlier than breaking into dance.
Keeping it for the rating.@MacJones_10 | #ForeverNE
📺 on @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/xgQwlN0egD
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 25, 2022
The Pats’ lead didn’t maintain, although, as Jackson orchestrated one other marathon march that drained 5 and a half minutes off the clock. Jackson’s dismount was a 16-yard landing move to Andrews fired off his again foot in opposition to an all-out blitz. The All-Pro tight finish plucked the ball off Devin McCourty’s again as he additionally tumbled backwards close to the goalposts.
Springing up from the top zone with 36 seconds left earlier than intermission, Andrews regarded like he had closed the half out on the Patriots. Instead, armed with two timeouts and a newfound rhythm, Jones and Co. drove 43 yards in 4 performs to arrange Folk for one more area objective. Folk linked from 50 yards as time expired and minimize Baltimore’s result in one.
Wasting no time within the third quarter, Jones hit Parker with two completions for 51 yards, a picturesque go ball and pinpoint back-shoulder catch. Their second connection put the Pats on the doorstep of the top zone, the place Harris punched in a 2-yard landing. But Baltimore saved touchdown physique blows in opposition to the Patriots protection, scoring 17 straight factors on two quick Jackson landing tosses and a 56-yard Justin Tucker area objective off Jones’ first interception.
Trailing 31-20 within the fourth quarter, Stevenson and Parker once more undertook the heavy lifting as they mixed for 54 yards on a landing drive. Stevenson capped the drive with a 1-yard landing, however the Patriots failed to attach on a 2-point conversion that had Stevenson making an attempt a lateral again to Jones. Instead, upon additional evaluation, it was revealed Stevenson’s knee was down, the primary domino in a line of errors that ultimately let Jackson run away with a win.
Here had been the very best and worst Patriot performances from Sunday:
Best
DL Deatrich Wise Wise recorded a career-high three sacks, the primary time any Patriot managed that feat since Sept. 2015. With 4 sacks whole, he has now surpassed his single-season whole from every of the previous three years.
WR DeVante Parker The former Dolphin completed three yards shy of tying his personal profession excessive with 156 receiving yards. He additionally grabbed a team-high 5 catches.
Worst
Run protection The Ravens averaged 7.2 yards per carry and piled up 188 whole.
QB Mac Jones Jones tossed three picks, together with one ultimately zone that pulled not less than three factors off the board.
Source: www.bostonherald.com