Patriots quarterback Mac Jones didn’t come out of the locker room with authority for the second half of his team’s game against the Titans. New England’s opening drive of the third quarter ended with this sequence:
Jones threw a weird bounce pass to receiver Kendrick Bourne on first down that could have been a fumble;
Jones threw what would have been a pick-six to Tennessee linebacker Dylan Cole if Cole hadn’t dropped it; and
Jones ran for seven yards on third-and-10, got clocked by Titans defensive back Buster Skrine seven yards downfield, jumped up, and signaled first down.
Mac Jones is 3 yards short of the first down and signals for a first down 😂😂😂 #TENvsNE pic.twitter.com/A6fG7RMbow
— Kyle Seeley (@PresidentSeeley) November 28, 2021
If you’re good with your math, you may have quickly summarized that a seven-yard gain on third-and-10 does not, in fact, move the sticks.
Bill Belichick always preaches situational awareness, so it’ll be interesting to see what the coach has to say about this after the game.