![Mac Jones, Patriots](https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/GettyImages-1703181812-e1696101436732.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780)
Getty New England Patriots QB Mac Jones reacting in the middle of an NFL game.
New York Jets fans won’t be pleased by the NFL’s final ruling regarding the Mac Jones–Sauce Gardner situation from Week 3.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero shared on X previously Twitter that the league “didn’t fine” Jones “for his actions in last week’s game against the Jets.”
He explained that “any discipline would’ve required sufficient video evidence to support Sauce Gardner’s accusation. In this case, there wasn’t enough.”
The NFL had already ruled earlier in the week that Jones would not face a suspension for “allegedly cup-checking” Sauce, but whether or not he could be fined was still up in the air.
Jones Accused of ‘Dirty Play’ Against Sauce in Jets-Pats Game
After the Jets-Pats game, Sauce accused Jones of “dirty play”, and he revealed the details during his post-game media availability.
During the Week 3 matchup, Sauce was shown on the television broadcast shoving Jones to the ground well after the play. However, Sauce said the reason he did that was because Mac came up and “hit me in my private parts.”
Gardner then shared an 11-second video clip to X previously Twitter showing Jones come close to him and then the shove.
NFL Insider for The Athletic, Dianna Russini, shared a better clip later in the week on social media from a league source.
It certainly appears to show Jones striking Sauce with his right hand and then Sauce immediately reacting to the contact.
In addition to this video evidence, Jones also has a concerning track record of suspicious activity throughout his young NFL career that displays a disturbing pattern of strange behavior.
Jets Will Have to Wait for Patriots Revenge Until End of Season
This Jones situation adds insult on top of another Jets’ loss. 15 in a row for those counting at home by the hands of the Patriots.
This was a must win game for both teams. New England entered the contest at 0-2 and the Jets were 1-1, but the ghosts of their past made this a massive mental obstacle that many felt they had to overcome to reach the potential of the 2023 season.
A different year, but the same result. The Jets lost 15-10 and won’t get a chance to exact revenge for the Mac-Sauce situation or that loss until Week 18 in the regular season finale.
The Jets-Patriots rivalry already was multi-layered with players trading both sides, bad blood, and now a new layer has been sprinkled on top.
However, for this rivalry to actually be called a rivalry, the Jets are going to have to show up. The normal definition of a rivalry is supposed to describe some back-and-forth nature between a pair of teams.
These matchups haven’t been very back-and-forth in a long time. The Jets haven’t beaten the Patriots since 2015. Not so coincidentally that was the last time Gang Green finished the regular season with a winning record.
The last time the Jets beat the Patriots without the benefit of overtime was the year 2011 and during the 2010 season. Again, not so coincidentally that was the last time the Jets made the playoffs.
If the Jets want to have success, it appears to directly correlate with beating the Patriots. Gang Green will have to wait until the end of the season to get another whack at the proverbial pinata.
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NFL Makes Final Call on Punishment for Mac Jones After Sauce ‘Dirty Play’