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The NFL handed out some fines for bone-jarring hits from Week 1. However, Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland escaped a penalty or fine for the hit on New England Patriots QB Mac Jones that left the second-year signal caller with back spasms.
After reviewing plays that were flagged for unnecessary roughness and roughing the passer, the NFL decided to extend a fine to the Carolina Panthers’ Brian Burns for his hit on the Cleveland Browns Jacoby Brissett, but not to Holland for his tag-team finishing maneuver along with Fins safety Brandon Jones on Jones.
NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero shared the information.
The high-low hit from Holland and Jones led to the Patriots QB’s back injury. Here is a look at the hit.
Jones’ tests were negative, and he will play on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, this was a close one. Moving forward, the Patriots’ offensive line has to ensure they are not leaving Jones out to be slaughtered–especially ahead of a matchup with a notoriously good pass-rushing team like the Steelers waiting in the wings.
Even with TJ Watt out, the Steelers still have Alex Highsmith and Cameron Heyward in the lineup and ready to pose a stiff challenge for the Patriots offensive line.
The Hit on Mac Jones Brought Back Bad Patriots Memories
The last time New England fans saw their starting quarterback take on a hard hit below the knee, it was Tom Brady taking the bump from Bernard Pollard in Week 1 of the 2008 NFL season.
The hit resulted in a torn ACL for Brady. He’d miss the rest of the season, but the Patriots still finished 11-5, narrowly missing the postseason.
Thankfully, Jones didn’t suffer a similar fate, though initially, the hit looked more devastating than the one Brady took from Pollard.
Mac Jones Should Have One of His Best Weapons Back on the Field
The inconsistent play of the Patriots offensive line was definitely a major storyline from the Week 1 loss to the Dolphins. However, an even bigger one could have been the Patriots’ lack of formidable weapons in the passing game.
New England traded for DeVante Parker in the offseason, hoping to find an answer to this problem. It’s still early, but Parker had just one reception in the loss to his old team, and that’s well beneath the level of production the Patriots hoped to get from him.
Jakobi Meyers again led the Patriots with 4 catches for 55 yards. With all due respect to Meyers, both numbers are a bit modest for an NFL team in 2022. The Patriots didn’t swing a big trade or sign Odell Beckham Jr., but Jones may still have his best weapon back on the field regularly against the Steelers.
After being limited to just two snaps in the Week 1 loss, Kendrick Bourne is expected to play more in Week 2. When Bourne was on the field, he made an impact. On one of Bourne’s snaps, he made a 41-yard reception down the sidelines.
Jones missed Bourne’s presence on the field–and perhaps his energy. In 2021, Bourne had a career season with 55 receptions for 800 yards and 5 TDs. Jones would love to see him get involved even more for the rest of the season.
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