It’s one thing for media talking heads to rip Mac Jones for his vulgar in-game outbursts.
It’s another thing when a highly respected member of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame does it.
Jones in recent weeks has become increasingly emotional during games, often dropping F-bombs and yelling at various coaches, including offensive play-caller Matt Patricia. It was a real problem Sunday afternoon, as Jones’ inability to control himself cost the Patriots points during the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders.
And Vince Wilfork is over it.
Appearing on NBC Sports Boston on Wednesday, the longtime Patriots defensive tackle called out Jones for his in-game behavior.
“I’m tired of that,” Wilfork said. “I’m gonna say it: I’m tired of that. You’re the leader of this team, you’re a quarterback. You can’t be frustrated every single week, every single play. I don’t care if you’re getting the play call in late, or whatever it may be.
“At the end of the day, you have to show some poise. Because you operate the ship, you’re head of the ship when you’re out there. And then you got the teammates looking at you every week, and every other play is this, that and the other. Hey, control what you can control. That’s all you can do.”
Wilfork added: “I’m tired of seeing him throwing a fit and attention-grabbing. … At this point, I’m tired of seeing it. I think a lot of other people are tired of seeing it.”
Jones’ frustration is understandable. The Patriots haven’t put him in a position to succeed this season, and his Year 2 regression largely is a byproduct of Bill Belichick’s complete upheaval of the offense last offseason.
But at a certain point, according to former players like Wilfork, you need to cut it out and just play. We’ll see whether Jones can do a better job of harnessing his emotions Saturday afternoon when the Patriots host the Cincinnati Bengals.
