The Patriots WRs had big compliments for Mac Jones, even after three interceptions.
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Mac Jones hung his head, staring at the ground between his legs. He’d just thrown his second interception, a pick-six, and the New England Patriots were watching the game deteriorated into a loss. The rookie quarterback was clearly feeling the weight of his mistakes.
After the Patriots 28-16 loss, Jones did nothing but take blame for his shortcomings after completing 58.9% of his passes while tossing three interceptions and one touchdown while amassing 270 yards. He did everything he could to pull his team out of a nosedive, even leading the team in rushing yards (28). Ultimately, he and the offensive line struggled with immense pressure (8 QB hits) and, in turn, he saw too many of his passes end up in the hands of the defense.
“You saw him there (on the sideline), but you didn’t really see him in the huddle,” said Jakobi Meyers, who had nine catches for 94 yards. “He’s trying to get the guys going with 10 seconds left on the clock, he thought we still had a chance. It’s good to see that in quarterback, the guy you’re supposed to follow. He was just out there fighting to the last possible second, even with the pick. He’s still trying to score.
“I’m not going to say what Mac needs because Mac went in the first round. He’s a great player for a certain reason. He knows how to handle himself, but I’m just happy to see him fight, even when we was losing by a lot.”
The first interception was probably the worst, with Jones attempting a pass as the pocket collapsed in the first half. A Saints pass-rusher knocked Jones’ arm, and he didn’t put the ball anywhere near his intended target. Instead, the Patriots quarterback threw the ball directly to safety P.J. Williams. Clearly, Jones held the ball a split-second too late.
“Mac is just really good with (moving on from mistakes), just the same demeanor: taking charge and leading us where we’ve gotta go,” Bourne said after the game. The receiver finished with six catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. “(Jones) is just relaxed, not changing at all. That’s what you want to see. You don’t want to see a guy tuck his tail when he makes one mistake. … We don’t want to go out there, make one mistake and be out of the game.”
The second interception wasn’t a mistake from Jones. In fact, there wasn’t much more Jones could have done. He hit Jonnu Smith in stride, and the tight end appeared to have room to run. But he bobbled the ball and fell over. The ball somehow landed directly in the hands of safety Malcolm Jenkins, who returned it for a touchdown.
The final interception came in the closing moments of the game when New England had almost zero chance of winning. Jones threw deep to the end zone for Nelson Agholor, who broke a different direction, which left the ball hanging for the Saints defensive backs.
Coach Bill Belichick was predictably brief when asked about the interceptions. He was asked what he saw on them.
“Well, probably the same thing you saw,” he said in a postgame press conference.
Jones and the Patriots have to correct their mistakes in short time, with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers set to travel to Gillette Stadium in Week 4. New England will have a hard time keeping pace with Brady if the Patriots turnover the ball at the same clip.
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