Mac Jones Has Quiet, Meaningful Supporter In Patriots Locker Room

It hasn’t been easy being Mac Jones lately, as the Patriots signal-caller has been the subject of harsh criticism amid New England’s worst start in decades.

He’s still got the support of his teammates, though.

Jones played his best game of the season Sunday. The 25-year-old not only held himself to zero turnovers but tossed the game-winning touchdown pass in the closing seconds of the Patriots’ thrilling victory over the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium.

It was clearly a cathartic moment for Jones, but what happened prior to the drive perhaps meant more.

“I went up to him and said, what would (Michael Jordan) and Kobe (Bryant) do right now? They’d ice the game,” Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux revealed postgame, per Khari Thomas of Boston.com. “They’d win it. I went up to him looked right in his eyes, grabbed his helmet and said, ‘I need you.'”

Godchaux showed clear leadership in the moment, but it wasn’t a onetime situation. The 28-year-old has been a consistent supporter of Jones, through thick and thin.

“DG — ever since I’ve gotten here, he’s been one of my close buddies,” Jones said Sunday, per team-provided transcript. “He keeps it loose. He’s funny. He makes plays out there and I know he has confidence in me and that means a lot to me as a younger player, compared to him who’s been in the league for a little bit. He’s done a great job and I want to continue to do that and make people believe.”

It isn’t often that you see such close relationships between quarterbacks and defensive players. They don’t have much opportunity to interact, save for the occasional verbal jab at practice. It’s clear Godchaux has a clear belief in Jones, though, leading to a fairly important moment Sunday afternoon.