Can’t blame loss on Jones
Rookie QB impressive in NFL debut
FOXBORO — For Mac Jones, it didn’t take long to win over the masses.
To say a star was born at Gillette Stadium in his rookie debut might be a bit of a stretch since it’s only one game.
Add the fact the Patriots lost, and it’s tough to anoint anyone. Without a doubt, the 17-16 setback to the Dolphins in the season opener is going to sting for awhile given how it went down.
But boy, was the kid impressive.
Once the nerves settled, the training wheels came off, and Josh McDaniels got out of protect-the-rookie mode, Jones showed why he was chosen to be the Patriots quarterback this season over Cam Newton.
Basically, he has all the right stuff — poise, accuracy, ice water in his veins, and yes, toughness.
And with Jones’ inspired performance comes a sense of hope and excitement for the Patriots this season, even in defeat.
He really couldn’t have done much better to provide a glimpse into the future, save for win the football game. This was about as good as you could have hoped for a first-round pick in his opening game.
It wasn’t on him that penalties (8 for 84 yards) and fumbles (2 killers) ultimately derailed the Patriots in the game, the most costly being a Damien Harris fumble on the 11-yard-line late in the fourth quarter with Jones poised to take them in for the go-ahead score.
Going 29 for 39, for 281 yards and a touchdown, with no turnovers, was beyond what many expected, especially against a Brian Flores defense.
It was truly a coming out party.
His only fault, if you could call it that, was converting just one of four chances in the red zone.
“I think we can get better, that’s just how you have to look at it,” Jones said after the game. “It definitely wasn’t good enough, starting with me … we lost, so it’s not good enough.”
Before the game, McDaniels, the offensive coordinator, told Jones to just enjoy the day, because he’d never have another opening game as a rookie.
Said Jones: “But that’s not how I wanted to have it go.”
Given how many times he spoke about having to get better, and it not being good enough, he even sounded like a leader.
In no way, shape or form is this loss on him. The Patriots collectively botched this based on mistakes made on both sides of the ball, which is not the typical Patriot Way.
Jones helped keep them in it by not playing like a rookie.
After a rough start in his opening series, Jones settled down and basically turned into the quarterback that was so impressive during training camp and the preseason.
And with each series, he got better, and his confidence grew.
Of course, the Dolphins blitzed him early, and kept sending rushers up the middle throughout the contest.
After an initial “oh my God, is Bill Belichick really going with this kid moment” when Jones panicked in the face of pressure on the first series, and made a backward pass that was basically a fumble the Patriots recovered, the rookie shook off the miscue, and ultimately nullified the blitz whenever Flores dialed it up.
He showed a calm under pressure that’s rare for a rookie, and took advantage at every turn.
Even Flores was impressed: “I thought he did a really nice job. Got the ball out, was able to kind of move their offense, pick up first downs, drive them downfield. Yeah, I thought he did a very nice job.”
With the score 10-10 at the half, Jones had gone 14 for 19 for 133 yards, with a touchdown pass. He had a 110.2 quarterback rating midway through the game. He kept up that pace throughout. He was sacked just once.
Most impressively, he stood in and took hits to make plays. The Dolphins attacked at almost every turn, registering eight quarterback hits, but he hung in there and delivered the ball with free blitzers coming in and giving him a pop as he unleashed the ball.
And while the Dolphins may have boasted the best third down defense in football last year, that didn’t faze Jones one bit. He converted on 11 of 16 third down chances.
The Patriots couldn’t convert on third down to save their lives last season. It’s a different story with Jones at the helm.
He hit passes all over the lot. He hit receivers, backs, tight ends, spreading the ball around to eight different receivers. It was a familiar look for the Patriots offense.
He just couldn’t find the end zone more than once.
“He definitely has a lot of poise,” said James White, who caught six passes for 49 yards, none better than the 26-yarder Jones floated perfectly into his arms to convert a huge first down on a 3rd-and-11 play. “It wasn’t perfect, but he kept us in it, keeping everyone motivated in the huddle. Obviously, it wasn’t our best football game on offense. We definitely have to play better in the red zone.”
Nelson Agholor, who had 5 catches for 72 yards, catching Jones’ first NFL touchdown pass, also sees a bright future for the kid.
“I thought he did well. I think he’s only going to get better, that’s the type of player he is,” said Agholor. “He’s very resilient. He stays in the game and plays hard.”