Getty Mac Jones addressed recent criticism but emphasized moving forward after a big win.
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones once looked bound for the bench.
Now, Jones could turn around the Patriots’ season after a 25-22 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 7. Jones sidestepped the waves of criticism that ensued during the Patriots’ three-game losing streak and 1-5 start, and he instead talked about how the team can build on first victory in a month.
“Really just want to build off the momentum and continue to do it, do it over and over again,” Jones told reporters on Wednesday. “Stick to the process, have expectations for yourself and don’t pay attention to the other expectations. That’s going to be big for me, and really starts in practice, right? Try to focus on ‘how can you do it again’? How can you stack good days together”? That’s going to be a very big focus for me this week.”
Jones and company will face another AFC East rival in the Miami Dolphins, a team that already beat the Patriots once this season, 24-17, on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 2. If the Patriots can pull out the win, it could pay dividends in the AFC East chase with wins over each of the other three teams in the division already.
Mac Jones Focused on What He Can Control
New England could also gain further ground in the division if the Bills lose at home Thursday, October 26, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For now, Jones wants to focus on what he and his teammates can control.
“I always talk about the process and kind of what I do each week – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and then get ready on Saturday for the game,” Jones said. “Regardless of what happens, it’s a one-week season every week. We understand that here, and that’s important to understand, because you’ve got to go out there and do it each week.”
Mac Jones Likes What He Sees From Rookie Wide Receiver
Rookie wide receiver Demario Douglas stepped up for the Patriots with four catches for 54 yards in the win over the Bills. He also rushed once for 20 yards, and he returned a punt for 25 yards.
“Yeah, Pop has done a good job,” Jones said about Douglas. “I definitely enjoyed that part of the game. Just focus on, you know, how can we do that to get guys open, create areas in the defense that become open because of that, and you see that around the NFL, a lot of teams use motion. High school football, it’s big now. College football, it’s been big for a while. I definitely enjoy watching other teams use it as well and what you can learn from that information.”
Demario Douglas better be playing almost every offensive snap moving forward.
Douglas had been quiet on offense since his fumble in Week 2 against the Dolphins before the Bills game. He had just four catches for 84 yards in that span until he turned things up in Week 7.
“I’ve known of him since I was little,” Jones said. “I know that he’s always fought an uphill battle. He always talks about his size, right? He’s always going to keep fighting, and I know that about him. I can be hard on him and try to raise that standard because I know where he comes from. I know how hard he works, and he’s going to bring it every week.”