Patriots’ Versatility Providing Opportunities For Young Defender

The Patriots didn’t know if they would be able to count on Marcus Jones being ready for the start of the season.

Jones missed nearly three weeks during training camp due to an undisclosed injury, watching practices from the sideline throughout the majority of August. New England previously dealt with similar stretches from the 25-year-old — who missed half the games he was eligible to play over his first two seasons — but this one was different.

Jones stayed sidelined out of precaution, working in slowly throughout the preseason schedule, and was unleashed in a new role in the Patriots’ season-opening road win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

How did he look? It’s a legitimate possibility that the win doesn’t happen without him.

Jones was one of the best players on the field in Week 1 at Paycor Stadium, helping keep a high-powered offense at bay from just about everywhere in the defensive backfield. New England gave him reps from the slot, outside the numbers and at safety.

Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington was asked on Tuesday about what makes Jones (and other players like Christian Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones) so versatile, sharing that it essentially comes by design.

“I would say we have a smart group, especially in that defensive back room,” Covington said. “I’d say that’s because those guys meet a good amount of time together, with the safeties and the corners being together, which allows them to speak the same language. …It allows us to be versatile in what we do, and what we ask those guys to do. I can’t take the credit away from them, either, because we can’t do those things without having smart players. Keion (White) moved all around. (Ja’Whaun) Bentley moved around, (Jahlani) Tavai, Dug (Kyle Dugger), Pep (Jabrill Peppers), all those guys.”

Jones allowed just one reception on the afternoon, making the first couple of third-down stops to really help get the defensive unit rolling. It was the perfect example of a young player stepping up into an increased role for New England, which is one of the franchise’s primary goals this season.

“It don’t matter about the size of the dog,” Covington said. “It’s really about the heart of the player.”