Patriots QB Mac Jones says he was too focused to grant interview with Peyton Manning

New England Patriots rookie QB Mac Jones explained why he turned down an interview with Peyton Manning ahead of the popular ManningCast for Week 13.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones made history on Monday night in the 14-10 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Not only did the rookie from Alabama play a complete game throwing just three passes, but he also is the only quarterback to date to turn down an interview with Peyton Manning ahead of the popular ManningCast alternate commentary of ESPN Monday Night Football.

Jones told his side of the story on “Merloni & Fauria” on WEEI 93.7 in Boston Tuesday.

“I texted him or whatever,” Jones said. “I am not going to get into any details, but I think we were just focused on the game. The Patriots do a great job of just helping me stay focused on what I need to stay focused on. I was like that in college, too.”

Peyton isn’t the only Manning in Jones’ cell phone. According to the first round pick, Archie Manning, Peyton’s dad, was a resource for him as he was working through the draft process.

“They’re great people,” Jones said. “I’ve been in contact with them throughout the whole process, even Archie, too. He’s a great resource to me.”

Peyton and Archie aren’t the only famous people in Jones’ contacts list, but the 23-year-old wasn’t forthcoming about who else might be in his phone.

“I think if I ever get a chance to get advice from people who have done really well in the NFL or just successful people, I just try to pick their brain and stuff like that. Just being in a situation growing up watching a lot of great players and getting a chance to meet them or talk to them, I always use that to my advantage.”

The Patriots are 9-4 and possess the No. 1 seed in the AFC. With the Patriots’ on a Week 14 bye, Jones intends to stay low key and relax at home in New England.

Peyton Manning shares how he was denied an interview with Patriots QB Mac Jones

Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning told a humorous story about how he was denied an interview with New England Patriots rookie Mac Jones.

Peyton Manning comes through when it matters, except when it comes to interviewing every quarterback ahead of the Monday Night Football Manningcast on ESPN 2.

The two-time Super Bowl champion shared notes from talking with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen on the Manningcast. When Eli Manning pressed Peyton on whether he spoke with New England Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones, Peyton revealed how he came up empty.

“I tried to talk to Mac Jones and he was very respectful. He said, ‘Peyton, I want to do it, but can you call our PR director, Stacey [James]. He kind of has to oversee all things.’ I said no problem. I called Stacey, he was very professional, and I said, ‘I’m talking to Coach [Bill] Belichick, can I talk to Mac Jones?’ And I got to tell you: I appreciate how they’re handling Mac Jones. They are trying to protect him and give him as few off-the-field distractions as possible. Let him concentrate on playing football. So, yes, I did denied. It was the first quarterback I haven’t talked to, but I appreciate it.”

According to Peyton, the approach the Patriots are taking with Jones is reminiscent of how the Indianapolis Colts handled him in 1998, his rookie season after being selected No. 1 overall in the draft.

“[General manager] Bill Polian, as a rookie, with me with the Colts did the same. He didn’t let the marketing department talk to me, the community relations department talk to me. He said, ‘Hey, it’s all football this first season. Don’t bother him.’ I think the Patriots are taking the same approach to Mac Jones. It’s paying off. It’s working.”

Eli asked how that could be accurate when he did so many commercials as a rookie, but Peyton corrected him to state he never shot one commercial as a rookie; it was only after he threw 28 interceptions that he “earned” the distinction to start shooting commercials.

Peyton Manning takes shots at Spygate Patriots during ESPN MNF telecast

Peyton and Eli Manning had jokes about the Spygate Patriots during ESPN’s Monday Night Football telecast.

Are we all on board with the awesomeness of ESPN’s alternate Monday Night Football telecast with Peyton and Eli Manning running the show? Because we should be. Not only do you get real-time analysis from two pretty good quarterbacks, the Manning brothers also exhibit quite a bit of humor. At one point early in the Packers-Lions telecast, Peyton tried to predict a play, it was not that play, and Eli slammed him with a “Nice call, Romo” crack.

As the Packers drove to their first touchdown of the game in the first quarter, the subject of playing the Patriots became a thing, and both Manning brothers were more than happy to take shots as New England’s longtime practice of illegally taping opponents and trying to gain an advantage.

Peyton: “I felt like the Packers were listening to our conversation on Friday about… they gotta come out and run the ball. I think our conversation was bugged. Kinda like the Patriots used to do back in the day.”

Eli: Did y’all… we played the Patriots in that second Super Bowl in Indianapolis, and they practiced at your facility all week. Were you a little nervous going back into your facility the next year, that they didn’t have cameras in your quarterback room?

Peyton: Every time I played against New England, I used to go and talk to my receivers in the shower, in the far corner. “Don’t talk about a play next to my locker, because I know it’s bugged! I know it’s got a hot mic in there!” We’re in the shower… very strange to have seven guys hanging out there in the shower, but take all precautions.

Peyton did have his troubles against the Patriots — his teams were 6-13 against them, and he threw 26 interceptions against them, by far the most against any opponent in his remarkable career. So, perhaps Eli, who helped his Giants win two Super Bowls against the Patriots, could afford to be a bit more relaxed.