What Patriots Leader Believes Mac Jones Must Do After Colts Loss

Patriots veterans are in uncharted territory this season, but the belief didn’t waver after another disappointing loss.

New England lost to the Indianapolis Colts, 10-6, at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany after Mac Jones failed to finish off potential scoring drives. Jones was benched on the final drive of the matchup in favor of Bailey Zappe.

The second-year quarterback wasn’t much better, and questions continue to mount regarding Bill Belichick’s job security and Jones’ future in New England. Belichick didn’t offer concrete answers as his team entered its Week 11 bye with a 2-8 record.

Patriots captains defended Belichick, and Matthew Slater knew what the next steps for Jones should be.

“He’s got to stay positive,” the 16th-year veteran told reporters, per team-provided video. “Right now, everybody’s counting him out. I’m sure there’s some negativity — there’s a lot of negativity — surrounding our team. You got to ignore all that because it shouldn’t impact how we operate day to day. You can’t let people who don’t know half of what’s going on inside the building impact what’s going on inside the building. So he’s got to stay positive. He’s got to ignore the noise, keep his head down and work just like the rest of us.”

Slater took the New England approach he and other veterans of the team have been accustomed to. The special teams ace admitted last month he didn’t regret returning this season, though there are hints his 16th season might be his last.

It’s certainly not an approach fans will be happy with as the frustrations with the Patriots’ offense continue to boil over.

Robert Kraft reportedly would consider a drastic move like firing Belichick. But if that doesn’t happen, it looks like fans will expect more of the same before New England takes on the New York Giants in Week 12.