Mac Jones and the New England Patriots have lost consecutive games, erasing all momentum built during a seven-game win streak which culminated in the team claiming the top spot in the AFC.
Things have changed in a hurry, however, with the Patriots dropping from first overall down to sixth and handing the AFC East lead over to the Buffalo Bills after a disappointing Week 16 loss at Gillette Stadium.
Those on the outside may think it takes a toll on the group, but Jones shared Wednesday how he believes the Patriots continue to be in the right mindset with two games left.
"It comes down to just execution. I think that's a good message," Jones said when asked about the message in the locker room. "Just try to focus on what you can control. That's this week and that's today's practice. The energy was there, the positivity, whatever you want to call it. We were all ready to work. That's how it has to be every day. It's a group effort. We're trying to be able to do that consistently. That's the other thing. It's just being consistent, knowing what you're going to get every day. Coming in at this point in the year, that's all we're guaranteed is today. That's what we can focus on. I think it's just X's and O's and execution that it comes down to."
Jones, the rookie Alabama product, has been tested during each of the last three games, including those consecutive losses. Jones' performance against the Bills in Week 16 was one of his worst on the season while his Week 15 outing against the Colts was inconsistent.
Jones explained what he's learned personally during the tough stretch.
"It's not to look at the big picture or anything like that," Jones said. "It's really important to know that we have one game every week. We can't control what happened two weeks ago. We can't control what happened eight weeks ago. We can't control what happens however many weeks down the line. I think it's just to be where your feet are, understand that we're guaranteed today, and that we have to come to work ready to go, regardless of how things went or how things might go."
Jones and the Patriots should have a favorable matchup in Week 17 as New England welcomes Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars to Gillette Stadium. Kick off is set for 1 p.m. ET.
