How Bill Belichick Reacted To Mac Jones’ Harsh Comments After Patriots Loss

Mac Jones blamed himself for Sunday’s Patriots defeat, saying he “definitely let the team down” with his play in New England’s 25-20 loss to the Eagles.

How did Bill Belichick feel about those self-critical comments from his starting quarterback? He agreed with them — or, at least, with the general sentiment.

Belichick certainly did not say Jones was the sole reason for the Patriots’ upset bid falling short. But the head coach did say the QB, his teammates and his coaches should be lamenting the mistakes they made against last year’s NFC champs.

“Well, look, I think everybody did a lot of good things in the game,” Belichick said. “And I’m sure everybody feels the same way that Mac does — that if we had all done one or two things a little bit better, it could’ve made a difference. So, I’m sure everybody feels the same way that Mac does, every player and coach that participated in the game.”

Statistically, Sunday’s game was one of the best of Jones’ career. He delivered his first 300-yard, three-touchdown performance as a pro, and New England’s offense showed real potential under new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.

But mistakes early in the game and in clutch situations ultimately doomed the Patriots. They quickly fell behind after Jones threw a pick-six and Ezekiel Elliott lost a fumble in the opening minutes, and they failed to score on fourth-quarter drives that stalled at the Eagles’ 17- and 20-yard lines.

New England went 1-for-4 on fourth down and scored just 20 points despite reaching the red zone five times. It also had a few costly penalties, including a holding call that wiped out a successful two-point conversion.

“There were a lot of — there were positives in the game that we have to build on,” Belichick said. “But in the end, any of us could have helped a little bit more, and it might have made a difference. I think we all know how Mac feels. We all feel the same way.”

The Patriots will look to remedy those issues when they host the Miami Dolphins this week on “Sunday Night Football.”