Mac Jones clearly wasn’t afraid to throw his weight around Sunday against the New York Jets.
By now, you probably have seen the two main pieces of evidence: Jones joined a goal-line pile to help Damien Harris enter the end zone and later threw a block that helped spring Kendrick Bourne for a first-down run.
But there was another play, during the first quarter, that also showcased Jones’s willingness to get his nose dirty for the New England Patriots.
Jones hit Bourne for a 7-yard gain on the second play of the game at MetLife Stadium. The ball came out of Bourne’s grasp before he went down, but referees ruled the play dead due to forward progress — a non-reviewable play.
Regardless, Jets safety Marcus Maye picked up the ball, hoping to be rewarded a fumble recovery. As Maye wavered between complaining to the official and running toward the end zone, Jones approached, swiped at the ball and later shoved Maye out of his bounds.
The rookie quarterback was the only member of the Patriots offense who went out of his way to ensure Maye couldn’t take off down the field.
(You can click here to watch a video of the full sequence.)
These kinds of plays will further endear Jones to his Patriots teammates and coaches, who already have praised the Alabama product for his toughness and competitive nature. It helps that the first-round pick has been really, you know, good since the start of training camp.
Jones will look to continue his hot start Sunday afternoon when the Patriots host the New Orleans Saints.
