PATS DEFENSIVE BACK JONES OUT FOR YEAR
Injury bug plaguing Pats’ roster
Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones was scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery Monday and will miss the remainder of the season, according to the NFL Network.
Jones hurt his shoulder during the team’s Week 6 overtime loss to Dallas and was placed on injured reserve last week. In six games, he totaled 20 tackles, three pass deflections and one interception. Before this season, the 28-year-old corner had missed just one game in his career due to injury.
Jones’ replacement, secondyear defensive back Myles Bryant, recorded six tackles, one sack and a forced fumble in his first extensive action of the season Sunday. He played 56 snaps against the Jets, a career high, including 44 in coverage, per Pro Football Focus. Like Jones, Bryant can play both safety and nickel back.
The Pats are down to Bryant, J.C. Jackson, Jalen Mills, Joejuan Williams, fifth-round rookie Shaun Wade and Justin Bethel on their cornerback depth chart. During their 54-13 blowout of the Jets on Sunday, the Patriots also lost Devin McCourty to an abdomen injury.
McCourty never returned to play, but remained on the sideline and wore his helmet during most defensive series in the third quarter.
Injuries are really starting to take their toll. Beyond Jones and McCourty, ESPN reported linebacker Harvey Langi suffered a sprained MCL during Sunday’s win.
Langi has primarily been used on special teams, and also as a fill-in on defense. He started Sunday in place of Dont’a Hightower, who is dealing with elbow and ankle injuries.
Langi’s absence could give linebacker Jahlani Tavai more opportunities on both defense and special teams.
Kicking the turnover habit
With 11 turnovers heading into Sunday’s game against the Jets, the Patriots were among the league leaders in that category.
Six interceptions and five fumbles through six games made the team one of the NFL’s poster boys for losing the football and that didn’t please Bill Belichick, to say the least.
Sunday against the Jets, the Patriots had a clean slate. Patriots quarterback Mac Jones didn’t throw any picks, and none of the running backs or receivers put the ball on the ground.
Belichick, during his weekly appearance on “The Greg Hill Show” on WEEI, said every player on the team has been working hard at ball security and it showed in the blowout win.
“It’s good to see us go through a game and not turn the ball over. That’s always a good start on the path to winning,” said Belichick. “You’ve got to give those guys credit for working hard at it. The Jets are a very good takeaway team. They do a good job punching and stripping the ball out. One of the better teams that we’ve played that does that consistently.”
Damien Harris, who had two pivotal fumbles in the red zone in previous games, led the team with 106 yards rushing and ran aggressively on 14 carries. J. J. Taylor, who also fumbled this year, had two rushing touchdowns down by the goal line, and held on as did Brandon Bolden, who caught six passes for 79 yards with a touchdown.
“Our guys did a good job
hanging onto the ball, and still breaking tackles and running well,” said Belichick. “I think that’s really the key. Not to just give up and not make yardage, but to be able to run aggressively with the ball and to continue to make yards and take care of the ball. That was good.”
Red zone perfection
The Patriots hit it out of the park in the red zone against the Jets, converting on all six opportunities.
Jones said it’s been a point of emphasis to execute during those chances, given the team was down at the bottom of the league in red zone scoring. It was simply “time to flip the switch.”
“We knew we weren’t great in the red zone so we wanted to do better,” Mac Jones said during his weekly appearance on WEEI’s “Merloni & Fauria” show. “You can’t force it. I just think we played the plays, did what we were supposed to do. That’s how it works.”
Jones threw for two scores in the red area, hitting Bolden from 15 yards out and Hunter Henry from the one, while Harris and Taylor also got into the end zone two times each with runs down by the goal line.
“We saw good results (Sunday), but we have to continue to do that,” said Jones. “It’s not a one-time thing. So we’ll just continue to harp on it.”
Belichick lauds Herbert
While the Patriots may have shut down Justin Herbert when they faced him last season, Belichick spoke glowingly about the Chargers quarterback during a video call Monday.
Even though Belichick has a habit of building up opposing players he’s about to face, his glowing report on Herbert wasn’t so far-fetched, as the second-year quarterback has emerged as one of the best in the league.
The Patriots scouted the former Oregon quarterback prior to last year’s draft, where he went sixth overall.
“He’s as good a quarterback as I’ve seen come out here in awhile, especially as it fits the pro game,” Belichick said. “I don’t think you’ll find too many better than him. This guy’s really an impressive player.”
Herbert, the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year last year, has thrown 14 touchdown passes with just four interceptions in six games this season with the 4-2 Chargers.
Belichick actually thought Herbert played well in the game last year, where the Patriots smoked the Chargers, 45- 0, at SoFi Stadium.
Belichick’s defense, however, got the better of the then-rookie, sacking him three times while registering 11 quarterback hits. Overall, Herbert completed 26 of 53 passes for 209 yards. He threw two interceptions.
“Luckily, we had a pretty good day, but I’m not counting on that again,” said Belichick. “I have a ton of respect for him. I think he’s going to be one of the top quarterbacks in the league for a long time to come.”