The Patriots got the job done in what looked like a must-win game against the Jets, especially for Mac Jones. The second-year quarterback headed into this matchup with some pressure on his shoulders following a tough start to the campaign.
Jones struggled in the first three games of the 2022 NFL season before spending time on the sidelines due to a high ankle sprain. In the meantime, third-string rookie QB Bailey Zappe did better than predicted and seemed to challenge for the starting job.
The QB controversy increased when Bill Belichick benched Jones during the Packers loss, but this week the Alabama product played the entire game. Following the victory, the longtime Patriots coach praised Jones' performance in the victory.
Bill Belichick liked Mac Jones' performance in Patriots' win vs. Jets
“I thought Mac did a nice job,” Belichick said Monday, via NESN. “We had pressure on quite a few pass plays — more than we would like, for sure — and I thought he made good decisions. He had to pull the ball down a couple and made some key runs for us. The Jets gave us some looks at the line of scrimmage that he had to deal with in the running game; I thought he handled those well. I thought he gave us a lot of good plays.”
Though he didn't say anything about Jones being the starter for the remainder of the season, these words are certainly meaningful for Jones after weeks in which his job security was questioned.
Mac Jones explains what helped the Patriots get the win
“I think just talking through some things and watching extra film together is obviously very beneficial,” Jones said. “Getting more reps in our own time and talking through things. Whatever we had questions on, we were just more, ‘All right, how do we do this? What do we need to do here?’ Obviously, that’s important. You want to be on the same page, and I felt like we’ve made strides there. But we’ve got to continue to do that.”
With this victory, not only did the Patriots improved their record to 4-4 but also took down a division rival that was in a four-game winning streak. Now, things at the AFC East are once again wide open.
