TUCSON, Ariz. — Matt Patricia and Joe Judge spoke at length this week about Mac Jones’ recent penchant for in-game F-bombs. Bill Belichick had no interest in doing the same.
The Patriots head coach shot down a series of questions Friday about his quarterback’s displays of emotion, saying he wasn’t going to “keep repaving the same road.”
Here’s the full transcript of the exchange, which took place before the Patriots’ final practice at the University of Arizona, as transcribed by MassLive.com’s Chris Mason:
Reporter: Where do you stand on those kinds of emotions?
Belichick: “I already talked about that.”
Reporter: I might have missed that.
Belichick: “I’m sure we can get you the transcript. I’ve talked about that.”
Reporter: You’re in line with (Judge and Patricia)?
Belichick: “I’m not going to keep repaving the same road here. How many layers do we need?”
Reporter: You’re known as being a stoic guy. Is there a benefit for players (to be emotional)?
Belichick: “Again, we’ve already talked about this. Can we move on?”
Belichick, though, hadn’t talked about it. Not really. He addressed one of Jones’ outbursts Tuesday on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” but only briefly:
Hill: It looked like Mac Jones may have been expressing some frustration with not getting the play in on time. Is that something you like to see from a player?
Belichick: “I mean, we all want to get the plays in on time.”
Hill: From a body language perspective, is that something that shows the passion of a player?
Belichick: “I don’t know.”
Patricia and Judge — the two coaches spearheading New England’s offense this season — responded to similar questions much differently during their chats with reporters this week. Patricia said he “loves” the passion Jones shows on the field, and Judge said he wouldn’t want to coach a player who wasn’t that emotionally invested in his job. Players also have praised Jones for his vocal leadership, with Matthew Slater saying Wednesday that he’s seen significant growth from the young QB in that area.
Jones and the Patriots still are seeking offensive consistency in their first season without former coordinator Josh McDaniels, whose new team, the Las Vegas Raiders, they’ll visit this Sunday.
