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After the New England Patriots 20-7 Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins, Mac Jones was left feeling the effects of the constant pressure he was under in the pocket.
Jones completed 21 of his 30 pass attempts and threw for 213 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. The Patriots’ offensive line didn’t do Jones any favors as Chad Graff of The Athletic tweeted that Jones had three seconds or more to throw on 3% of his dropbacks which was the lowest in the entire NFL.
Jones was also sacked two times.
After the game, Jones was seen getting x-rays and didn’t meet with the media after the loss. It was reported on Monday, September 12 by ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Jones was dealing with back spasms.
“I definitely feel better and I want to be able to be ready to play against Pittsburgh,” Jones said. “My back hurt. We were trying to figure out what the issue was. They did all the tests and everything was fine.”
Jones added that he believed the injury occurred in the fourth quarter of Week 1.
“I just kept playing and tried to work through it,” Jones said. “It’s football — you’re going to get hit. I’ve been hit harder before and will probably get hit harder in the future. It’s all good.”
What Should Patriots Fans Expect From Jones in 2022?
Jones had one of the best seasons of any rookies drafted last season. He threw for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns in his first NFL season. Jones led New England to the playoffs but unfortunately, the Pats bowed out in the AFC Wild Card round.
This season, Jones will face some challenges. After Josh McDaniels departure, the offensive coaching staff is quite inexperienced with Joe Judge and Matt Patricia taking over control. The Patriots also suffered losses on the offensive line with Shaq Mason being traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If Jones can lead New England to the playoffs or even a winning season, that should be viewed as a massive success. The second-year quarterback has a large mountain to climb in 2022.
Where do the Patriots Rank in the NFL?
It might seem stunning with how New England performed, but the Patriots moved up a spot in Bleacher Report’s power rankings landing at No. 21.
Maurice Moton detailed why he isn’t panicking after one game.
“Most teams shouldn’t hit the panic button after a Week 1 loss, but the New England Patriots have a real issue on the offensive side of the ball after a lackluster summer and a flat performance in a 20-7 loss to the Miami Dolphins,” Moton said. “On top of that, quarterback Mac Jones suffered a back injury and will undergo further testing, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. With a former defensive coordinator in Matt Patricia making the offensive calls and a second-year signal-caller in Jones, who’s already hurt, the Patriots’ season looks like it’s headed in the wrong direction pretty quickly.”
The fact that Jones is already saying he will play is good news for fans in New England but it could be a difficult season for Jones and the Patriots.
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