The approach the primary 10 video games went, it was straightforward to marvel if Mac Jones would ever get out of the outlet he had fallen into. If he would ever cease his slide from promising younger NFL quarterback, to not lengthy for this league.
His efficiency towards the Vikings on Thanksgiving evening, nevertheless, supplied some hope for the longer term. It noticed him emerge from the abyss, and as soon as once more appear like he was headed for greater and higher issues.
Jones went toe-to-toe with Kirk Cousins through the 33-26 loss, which dropped the Patriots to 6-5.
He picked aside the Vikings protection for a career-high 382 yards and two touchdowns on 28-of-39 passing. It marked his second 300-plus yard sport of the season, and for the third straight sport, he didn’t throw any picks or commit any turnovers.
Considering the Patriots solely had two offensive touchdowns within the final three video games, this was a significant breakthrough.
Jones had the offense transferring many of the evening. He simply wasn’t in a position to ship late within the fourth quarter when the Patriots desperately wanted a rating.
Of course, there was a Hunter Henry landing within the third quarter that was reversed on a controversial name. That may need modified the course if the Patriots didn’t need to accept a discipline objective.
But given it was onerous to imagine the Patriots may match scores with an elite offense just like the Vikings on the outset, this was an encouraging efficiency from the second-year quarterback.
The Patriots scored on six of their first seven possessions earlier than stalling after that.
Seeing Jones comes alive, although, was an essential improvement for the Patriots going ahead.
With a clear pocket many of the evening, with the offensive line — minus heart David Andrews and deal with Isaiah Wynn — offering good safety, Jones seemed like a totally completely different quarterback.
He simply confidently delivered the soccer whether or not a brief, intermediate or lengthy go. It helped that he was enjoying towards a secondary that had allowed the second-most passing yards per sport, and the second-highest completion proportion (69%), however based mostly on how far Jones had sunk, he wanted a breakthrough, and it didn’t matter which protection it was towards.
“I didn’t feel pressure at all, hardly. Hats off to them for playing a great game,” Jones stated of his offensive line. “And the run game, too. If we can just continue to do that, I think a lot of things will go our way.”
Jones hit six completely different receivers. Devante Parker had 4 catches for 80 yards, Rhamondre Stevenson 9 catches for 76 yards, and Nelson Agholor added six catches for 65 yards and a landing. Hunter Henry (3 catches, 63 yards), Jakobi Meyers (3 catches 62 yards) and Kendrick Bourne (3 catches 36 yards) had been additionally concerned.
“I don’t ever try to single anyone out. Wherever the play takes me, that’s where I’m throwing it,” he stated. “I think that’s cool about this offense. You don’t know when it’s going to come to you, but it can come to you on any play … we just have to build on the things we did well, and correct on the things we haven’t.”
Tops on the record is their purple zone manufacturing. It stays a priority with the offense settling for 4 Nick Folk discipline targets, three of these coming within the purple zone with the offense stopped on the 16-, 5- and 6-yard line.
They had been additionally 3-for-10 on third down conversions. Still not ok.
Following the overturned landing, the Patriots failed to attain on their ultimate 4 drives of the evening.
So there’s nonetheless work to do.
“Definitely not the result we wanted, but there’s no time to kind of drag and feel sorry for ourselves,” stated Jones. “Definitely a lot of things we can do better.”
Jones stated it was a matter of constructing off adversity. For one sport at the very least, he appeared to push no matter points that had been hindering him apart, and look extra just like the Mac of outdated, even in defeat.
“We all played with effort and toughness,” stated Jones. “That’s all you can ask you. We want to be able to score more points and win the game. That’s all that I care about. That’s all that we care about is winning, and we didn’t do that tonight.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com