Obviously, the first six weeks here in New England have been less than ideal, with Patriots quarterback Mac Jones being the target for a lot of that criticism.
Jones has certainly had some tough moments so far this season. He’s been picked off seven times to this point, including ones that have gone the other way for touchdowns, along with some other frustrating turnovers.
The result has seen the Patriots start the season 1-5, including three straight losses heading into this week.
As a result, it has both Jones and Bill Belichick both under fire as they each try and weather the storm, and barring a significant turnaround, it’s likely only going to continue.
One media member on Wednesday asked Jones point-blank if, with the trade deadline closing in, he’s concerned that he may be dealt in the coming days. Jones deflected, but there was a tenor of irritation during the response, likely due to some anger and frustration as he continues trying to turn his own game around.
“I’m not focused on that right now. Honestly, just really focusing on coming together as a team during tough times,” said Jones, with his voice getting a little jittery as he responded. “Seeing how we respond, seeing how I respond, and definitely excited for the challenge and looking at it in the eyes and taking it head-on.”
Jones was obviously benched during two bad performances against both Dallas and New Orleans in Weeks 4 and 5, which saw the club endure two blowout losses of 38-3 and 34-0, respectively.
However, Sunday marked somewhat of an improvement for Jones. While the quarterback had a bad throw to Hunter Henry in the first half that resulted in his seventh pick of the season, he responded with a second half where the team put together two scoring drives as Jones missed just three of his throws, finishing 16-of-19 over the final two quarters.
One of those incompletions came on a perfectly thrown ball to DeVante Parker on their final possession that would have potentially put them in position to set up a last-second field goal.
Had that happened, it would have given them a shot at what would have been their first come-from-behind win of the season. Instead, Jones was sacked for a safety two plays later as the offensive line collapsed on him for the final of many times during that contest.
Since that game, the calls for a new quarterback have only increased, and Jones is now left in a difficult situation. His tough start and their early collapse appears to have everyone’s mind made up when it comes to the opinions of fans who believe it’s time to move on, and unless he has a big turnaround, it’s going to be difficult for him to change that.
Another reporter asked a great question, asking the quarterback how he feels he’s done communicating who he is during his press conferences when it comes to the fans. Jones did admit that he does feel like he’s been somewhat “misconstrued” when it comes to people’s opinion of him.
“I think for me, football is a big part of my life but I have also other parts of my life, you know? And I feel like, definitely maybe, sometimes [I’m] misconstrued or whatever. But I just try to be Mac. I do have really close friends on the team. Football is my life, and it’s very important to me.”
“Standing up here every week, I try and talk with you guys [the media] and have a lot of respect for what you guys do so, hopefully, you guys feel the same. Definitely, I try to keep about football, right? I’m not going to sit up here and talk about personal stuff. But I do feel like I’m a very private person as well. I don’t like to share too many things.”
Jones and the Patriots are currently preparing for a visit from the Buffalo Bills, who are set to come into Gillette Stadium this weekend for a 1:00pm showdown.
If Jones and the Patriots want to turn the tide and potentially grab some confidence and momentum, an upset against their Division rival would certainly be a great place to start.
Support Us: Help Us Compete Against The Corporate Media Giants
We need your help. If you enjoy our content, please help us beat Google's Corporate algorithm by adding us as a preferred source on Google News.
Click the button below and check the box next to "PatsFans.com"
Add as a preferred source on Google News
Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
