New England Patriots QB Mac Jones
The New England Patriots may have lost in Week 3, but the result is far from the biggest loss they suffered on Sunday.
Late in the fourth quarter, Mac Jones threw his third interception that doomed New England to a defeat. After the play was over, Jones hobbled to the sideline putting no weight on his left leg.
Jones immediately went to the locker room and according to Greg Bedard, the quarterback was “screaming in pain” as he was taken down to get checked out by the medical staff in the lower levels of Gillette Stadium.
Jones had a solid performance in Week 3. He threw for over 300 yards but the issue is that he threw for 3 interceptions.
Jones’ decision-making was poor. He forced a ball to DeVante Parker in the end zone for his second pick of the day after a miscommunication with Parker led to his first turnover and on the play he got hurt he simply made a poor throw.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that X-rays taken after the game on his ankle were negative, according to a source.
#Patriots QB Mac Jones has X-Rays on his ankle following the game and they were negative, source said. His ankle will continue to be evaluated.
What Will The Patriots Do if Jones Misses Significant Time?
If Jones is forced to miss any significant chunk of time or possibly the rest of the season, New England’s playoff hopes are as good as gone. With the options that the Patriots have, fans shouldn’t expect a performance such as Matt Cassel’s when he stepped in for the injured Tom Brady.
Cassel led was 10-5 after taking over for Brady. He threw for 3,693 yards, 21 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions per Pro Football Reference.
The only candidates to take over for Jones are Brian Hoyer and Bailey Zappe. With Zappe being in his rookie season, it seems likely that Bill Belichick goes with the veteran Hoyer.
Hoyer has thrown for over 10,000 yards in his 13-year career. The veteran also has 53 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. In his career, Hoyer has a 16-23 record.
Patriots Fans React to Jones Injury
Fans in New England were quick to take to Twitter to talk about the injury. Even fans of other teams felt bad for Jones.
“Damn. Even as a Jets fan, you hate to see it. Hope Mac Jones is ok,” a Jets fan commented.
Damn. Even as a Jets fan, you hate to see it. Hope Mac Jones is ok.
“I’ll give Mac Jones my leg if he needs it,” wrote another Twitter user.
I’ll give Mac Jones my leg if he needs it 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Some fans think that the Patriots’ season is all but over with the injury.
“Looks like a Mac Jones broken ankle,” a fan wrote on Twitter. “Season over after week 3. And we won’t get to see him in a few weeks against Chicago.”
Looks like a Mac Jones broken ankle. Season over after week 3. And we won’t get to see him in a few weeks against Chicago.
“Mac Jones had a terrible game and looks like he’s hurt real bad. Cool. Love that for me,” wrote another Twitter user.
Mac Jones had a terrible game and looks like he’s hurt real bad. Cool. Love that for me.
So Patriots fans will have to play the waiting game to see just how long Jones will be out for. The injury looked rather serious and Jones appeared to be in a lot of pain.
But if he does miss some time, New England’s chances at making the playoffs get even slimmer. Starting the season 1-2 doesn’t make things easier for Hoyer, Zappe, or whoever ends up replacing him.
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