Getty Mac Jones.
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones hasn’t been afraid to show emotion on the field.
The second-year quarterback has been caught on camera multiple times shouting expletives after things didn’t go his way. Based on his comments during his December 21 media availability, it seems he won’t stop shouting them anytime soon.
“I think it’s a big part of the game, playing with passion and emotion,” Jones told reporters. “I think the best players on every team do that. You can’t let it affect your next play, that’s the biggest thing. Which it hasn’t. It’s all about fixing the things that pop up in a game, right? So sometimes when they’re reoccurring, we just want to fix them and move on to the next play. That’s something that definitely — that’s who I am and that’s how I’ve always been.”
In one of Jones’ outbursts, during the Patriots’ December 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football, Jones could be seen on the sideline shouting, “Throw the f****** ball. [Our] f****** run game sucks.”
“I want to just be a great teammate however I can be and be a leader too,” he added. “You want to show positivity, as well. When we do things well, I try to do that. We want to do more things well and try to fix the things that we’re working through. That’s all you can do. It’s a game. It shows that you care. I think we have guys that care on our team. I definitely care. So that’s important to me.”
Is Jones Worried About Showing Up His Coaches?
Observers have speculated that Jones’ outbursts have been directed at the play-calling of Patriots senior football advisor and offensive line coach Matt Patricia.
During his December 21 press conference, Jones was asked whether he worried about showing up his coaches.
“It’s not really about that,” Jones said. “I think it’s more, like I said, the sense of urgency for just doing everything on time and in control and that’s something we preach here — from the coaches, from the players, from the whole staff is just trying to do everything right. At the end of the day, that’s what’s important is doing the right thing and getting to that point and holding everybody to that standard.”
Patricia, who started calling offensive plays for the Patriots this season, responded in mid-December to the perceived criticism of him in Jones’ outbursts by simply saying, “I love it.”
Jones indicated he’s not without blame.
“As a quarterback, I can do a lot of things better, too,” he said. “It always comes back to the quarterback, right? At the end of the day. I understand what position I’m in, and I want to just help the team win and that’s what I’ll do. I’ll always do that and just try and compete every day and just try and win.”
Who on the Patriots Is Headed to the Pro Bowl?
New England will only have one representative at the Pro Bowl this year, linebacker Matthew Judon.
Judon has had a career year for the Patriots, racking up 14.5 sacks. That total currently ranks second in the NFL (one behind Nick Bosa’s 15.5) and breaks Judon’s previous career-high of 12.5 sacks, set last season with the Pats.
The Pro Bowl will look different this year with players from each conference competing in a series of skills competitions throughout the first week of February and culminating February 5 with a flag football game between the AFC and NFC at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.