EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Mac Jones had a weird week, to put it mildly.
The Patriots quarterback was booed off his own field Monday by Patriots fans clamoring for Bailey Zappe to be crowned as the starter. Days’ worth of speculation and hard questions followed, despite Bill Belichick on Thursday confirming Jones would start in Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.
Behind the scenes, it sounds as if Jones was taking everything personally. Receiver Jakobi Meyers on Friday said the always-intense Jones was even more locked in than usual.
And while Jones wasn’t great in New York, he was good enough in the Patriots’ season-saving 22-17 win over the Jets. The sophomore signal-caller threw one pick and could’ve thrown a couple more, but he also stood tall amid relentless pressure and completed 24 of 35 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown.
“He looked ready to go, man” receiver Kendrick Bourne told NESN.com inside the Patriots locker room. “Obviously, we all know what happened last week and stuff like that. But he’s always ready.
“In football, you never know what’s gonna happen and you always gotta be ready for your opportunity. That’s what played out. Just was locked in on his playbook and his play calls and played a great game.”
Last week, Jones returned from his three-game injury absence but only played three series in blowout loss to the Chicago Bears. After throwing an interception to end New England’s third drive, Jones was pulled for Zappe and never returned to the field.
As such, neither he nor the offense was able to work off the proverbial cobwebs and find a rhythm. The hope is that Sunday’s victory, as ugly as it was at times, can serve as a springboard.
“You know he’s dealing with his leg and stuff like that,” Bourne said if Jones. “So, I think they were trying to keep some weight off of him. But he seems healthy now and ready to go.
“So, time to get it rolling — again. We should’ve had that one last week, but just a good win (Sunday) against a good team. … A division win that really matters.”
Rhamondre Stevenson also praised Jones for his consistency on the practice field and in the meeting rooms.
“Mac he’s the same person every day,” Stevenson said during a postgame news conference. “No matter good day, bad day, indifferent — he’s the same person each and every day. And that’s why everybody on this team respects him so much.”
Ultimately, Jones moving forward will need to be better than he was against the Jets. Zach Wilson ensured Jones and the Patriots didn’t pay for sloppy mistakes, but New England might not be as fortunate against better teams.
The Patriots will look to move to 5-4 when they host the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday.
