GREEN BAY, Wis. — New England Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer, who was starting in place of the injured Mac Jones, was knocked out of Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers on the second series after taking a hard hit on a sack.
Hoyer was evaluated for a head injury and, at the start of the second quarter, the team announced he wouldn’t return.
Rookie Bailey Zappe, the fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky, took over for Hoyer.
The Patriots don’t have any other quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. One of their emergency options, receiver Jakobi Meyers, is inactive for Sunday’s game due to a knee injury.
On the play Hoyer was injured, Packers linebacker Rashan Gary surged off the edge against right tackle Isaiah Wynn and barreled into the 36-year-old QB.
Hoyer went into the pop-up blue medical tent on the sideline, and after about five minutes, emerged from the tent and walked to the locker room for further evaluation. Hoyer had directed a 10-play, 56-yard opening drive that culminated in a 37-yard field goal to give the Patriots an early 3-0 lead.
He was playing in place of Jones, who suffered a high left ankle sprain at the end of a Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Hoyer wasn’t the only player to leave the game with an injury, as tight end Jonnu Smith limped off late in the second quarter and went to the locker room for evaluation. He is questionable to return with an ankle injury.
Also Sunday, Packers safety Adrian Amos was ruled out in the first half with a concussion.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is dealing with what doctors have diagnosed as a severe high ankle sprain that would cause many to have surgery, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Jones is likely to miss multiple games, the sources said, and he and the Patriots still are discussing his options and the best way to proceed.
Jones, who suffered the sprain in Sunday’s 37-26 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, deflected questions on his timetable for recovery when asked about it earlier Monday.
In a videoconference with reporters from the Patriots’ facility, Jones repeated the words “day by day” or “day to day” nine times.
“I’m just going to take it day by day, get my treatment and do what I do. Just see how I feel,” he said. “If you have any more of those type questions, talk to Coach [Bill] Belichick. I think he likes those questions.”
Jones, who was in considerable pain as he hopped off the field Sunday, laughed and flashed a smile as he delivered the line about Belichick, who notoriously disdains addressing injuries with reporters.
The Patriots (1-2) visit the Green Bay Packers (2-1) on Sunday, and Belichick said early Monday that he wouldn’t speculate if Jones might be placed on injured reserve.
Jones echoed those thoughts, saying: “A lot of times you don’t really know exactly what happens. You just have to get your treatment, and hopefully you feel better the next day, and you grow from there. … I’m just waiting on the time here, just kind of letting it play out, seeing how I feel. Honestly, I’m just trying to make it to tomorrow and get my rehab going.”
Veteran Brian Hoyer is the Patriots’ top backup, and fourth-round draft pick Bailey Zappe of Western Kentucky has been the No. 3 option.
Longtime captain Matthew Slater was asked Monday how the Patriots might respond if they are without Jones.
“I hope we don’t have to find that out, but I do believe we’ll respond the right way,” he said. “We’re very early in our season, and if we don’t handle it the right way, this thing could spiral away from us.”
Hoyer has lost 11 consecutive starts, which is the longest active streak in the NFL.
Meanwhile, the Packers have won 14 straight regular-season home games, which is the longest active streak in the NFL.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones and most of the team’s starters aren’t expected to play in Thursday night’s preseason game against the New York Giants, sources told ESPN.
The Patriots have joint practices next week with the Carolina Panthers followed by a preseason game with them.
Then the following week, the team flies to Las Vegas for joint practices with the Las Vegas Raiders and a final preseason game against them.
The Patriots’ preseason opener is expected to mostly feature rookies and backups vying for roster spots. Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe, a fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky, projects to see the majority of action behind veteran Brian Hoyer.
The Giants plan to open with their healthy starters, per sources.
Sophie Scott is ready to see boyfriend Mac Jones back in action.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the girlfriend of the Patriots’ second-year quarterback posted a sweet couple’s shot from training camp, as New England prepares for its first preseason game Thursday against the Giants.
“Year 2,” Scott gushed.
Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was supported by girlfriend Sophie Scott at training camp.InstagramSophie Scott has been dating Mac Jones for nearly three years.InstagramThe couple vacationed in Bermuda together during the offseason.Instagram
Jones, 23, who has been dating Scott for nearly three years, helped lead New England to a playoff appearance as a rookie in 2021. And while the Patriots are hoping to replicate last season’s magic, alarm bells have since started ringing in regard to the offense.
Tom E. Curran, the Patriots’ insider for NBC Sports Boston remarked on Twitter that the team’s No. 1 offense “has been distressingly bad” in training camp.
“Run stuffs. Aborted plays. Would-be sacks. Distress lobs into traffic just to get ball out,” Curran continued Monday, later adding, “They are perpetually overwhelmed.”
New England is without longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels this season following his January departure to become head coach of the Raiders. Jones and the offense are now working with Matt Patricia, who rejoined the Patriots in 2021 after a brief stint coaching the Lions.
Mac Jones is entering his second year with the Patriots.APFor the 2022 season, Mac Jones and the Patriots’ offense are working with Matt Patricia.Boston Globe via Getty Images
Patricia has been calling the offensive plays during training camp while holding the title of senior football advisor and offensive line coach. He previously served as the Patriots’ defensive coordinator from 2012-17.
Despite a challenging start, Jones is preaching patience as the offense learns its new scheme.
“I’m going to figure it out. I always have. I always will,” Jones told reporters on Tuesday. “At the end of the day, you’re going to have your ups and downs with anything new … I think we’re close on a lot of things. It’s just that 2% we need to fix.”
Jones threw for 3,801 yards through 17 regular-season games last year, along with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The specifics of former New York Giants head coach Joe Judge’s role as a New England Patriots offensive assistant became clearer Monday, as he told reporters that he’s working with Mac Jones and the quarterbacks.
It’s a key position on Bill Belichick’s staff, given Jones’ promise and the departure of longtime, innovative offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to become the Las Vegas Raiders head coach.
Meanwhile, former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia — who spent the 2021 season as a senior advisor to Belichick in New England — said he is working with the offensive line.
Belichick had previously identified Judge and Patricia as two leading coaches on offense, but had not publicly specified their roles, or if they would replace McDaniels as the playcaller on game day.
Judge was asked if he would call plays in 2022 and said: “Look, I’ll tell you directly and honestly right now, nothing has been declared or decided or voiced to me. … In terms of who calls plays, to be honest with you, that’s not the main focus right now. When Coach wants to go ahead and declare a role like that, he’ll tell us.”
The Patriots are currently in the second phase of their voluntary offseason program, with coaches working with players on individual and full-unit drills. Reporters have not had access to practice, but Judge and Patricia detailed their responsibilities.
“In terms of who is coaching each position, you’ll see me on the field with the quarterbacks,” said Judge, who was 10-23 in his stint as Giants head coach from 2020-2021.
“I am working with Mac, along with all the skill group on offense. I’d say all of us are working collectively as a coaching unit with the entire offense. So that’s the most direct and specific answer I can give you on that. … It’s been a main emphasis for us as a coaching staff, we want to make sure we can coach all the players and that nobody is out there with a lack of knowledge in the offense.”
Judge said he watched months of tape on Jones leading up to the 2021 draft, and then Jones also made an impression on him when his Giants team practiced with the Patriots in the ’21 preseason.
“There’s a lot of things you’re impressed with — the accuracy, the presence in the pocket, the decision-making, things of that nature. I like the way he handled and commanded the huddle and team when we practiced against him; that’s something that really stood out to me,” he said.
As for Patricia, who was 13-29-1 in his tenure as Lions head coach from 2018-2020, he described his new role as a return to his roots in college and the NFL. When he was hired as a Patriots coach in 2004, one of his first jobs was with the offensive line, before he flipped to defense in 2006 and remained there for 12 years.
“I’ve been working with the offensive line, which has been great for me,” he said. “It’s been fun to get back to that.”
Patricia’s interview was his first since rejoining the Patriots more than a year ago, and he was asked what he learned about himself from his Lions tenure.
“Detroit was a tremendous opportunity for me. I’m very appreciative of [Martha Firestone Ford] and the organization,” he said. “I think every year you’re involved with football, you learn and grow. For me, being a head coach in Detroit allowed me to come in with different views or perspective or different ideas to talk about with Coach Belichick.”
“And in a lot of ways, it’s been great to be back and just have to focus on a singular job, and not multiple jobs. That part of it has been good.”
In hindsight, what was the rest of the NFL thinking?
Letting Bill Belichick get his hands on a quarterback compared to a young Tom Brady without even having to trade up from the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft?
Sooner rather than later, it might be blasphemous that Mac Jones was the fifth quarterback selected in the first round. In the meantime, it looks like Jones is the right person to steer the Patriots out of a one-year irrelevance without Brady and back into the AFC playoffs, where no team wants to line up against Belichick. While the Patriots are rising fast, it seems almost every other team outside of the top two is sinking.
Here are The Post’s power rankings for Week 11:
1. Tennessee Titans, 8-2 (1)
The Titans have won an NFL-best six in a row. More impressively? After slipping past the Saints, the last five wins are against playoff teams from last season, making the Titans only the second team (2003 Eagles) to accomplish that feat. Jeffery Simmons has five sacks in the last two games. Ryan Tannehill ran for and threw for a touchdown.
Jeffery Simmons sacks Trevor Siemian during the Titans’ 23-21 win over the Saints on Sunday. AP
2. Green Bay Packers, 8-2 (2)
You could look at the Packers’ 17-0 win against the Seahawks (3-0 after three quarters) as Aaron Rodgers struggling without a week of practice in his return from a COVID-19-enforced absence. Or you could look at it as dominant defense holding Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes and Russell Wilson to 34 total points in the last three games. Running back Aaron Jones was lost to a MCL injury.
3. Arizona Cardinals, 8-2 (3)
Colt McCoy’s magic touch as a backup quarterback for the Giants in 2020 and Cardinals in 2021 disappeared with two first-quarter turnovers, and the Cardinals ran into an emotional buzzsaw in Cam Newton’s first game back with the Panthers. Kyler Murray (ankle) could return next week. DeAndre Hopkins is missed, too.
4. Dallas Cowboys, 7-2 (7)
The Cowboys’ two-week wild ride best epitomizes the wide-open state of the NFL right now. One week after trailing the Broncos 30-0 in the fourth quarter, the NFL’s top-ranked offense walloped the Falcons, 43-3, behind defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s revenge game against a team he coached to the Super Bowl.
5. Los Angeles Rams, 7-3 (4)
The Rams added Von Miller, then lost the next game. They added Odell Beckham Jr., then lost the next game. Who will they add this week? Dan Marino? Barry Sanders? Lawrence Taylor? What a golden opportunity to tie the Cardinals wasted in a blowout loss to the 49ers. Sean McVay’s offense looks broken.
6. New England Patriots, 6-4 (10)
Jones threw three touchdown passes, including two to Hunter Henry, in a 45-7 rout of the Browns. Henry has seven touchdown catches in the last seven games. Can anyone think of the last great quarterback-tight end duo to play in New England?
7. Buffalo Bills, 6-3 (9)
The jokes at the Bills’ expense after a 9-6 loss to the Jaguars can stop now. Turns out they do know how to embarrass a bad team as shown by a 45-17 win against the Jets. An often one-dimensional passing offense showed a new wrinkle with four rushing touchdowns, but the AFC East is no longer theirs for the taking.
8. Kansas City Chiefs, 6-4 (11)
How fitting it was that Patrick Mahomes torched the Raiders for five touchdown passes after it was the Raiders who provided a blueprint for slowing down the Chiefs during a win last season. So, the Chiefs – the rare team without a head-scratching loss – are leading the AFC West after too-soon reports of their demise.
9. Baltimore Ravens, 6-3 (5)
The Ravens, Buccaneers and Steelers – the next three teams listed – all suffered stunning results. The Dolphins made Lamar Jackson look ordinary by blitzing safeties Jevon Holland (21 times) and Brandon Jones (17) more times than any defensive backs in any game since 2016, according to NextGenStats. The Ravens failed to score at least 14 points for the first time in the last 51 games.
The Dolphins’ defense bothered Lamar Jackson all night. Getty Images
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 6-3 (6)
The Bucs have lost two straight and are a “very dumb football team,” coach Bruce Arians said. Brady threw two interceptions and the defense allowed a 19-play fourth-quarter touchdown drive to Washington, which avenged its playoff loss. One downfall of fielding an old team is injuries – and the Bucs have too many to list.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers, 5-3-1 (8)
12. New Orleans Saints, 5-4 (12)
13. Indianapolis Colts, 5-5 (15)
14. Minnesota Vikings, 4-5 (21)
15. Los Angeles Chargers, 5-4 (13)
16. San Francisco 49ers, 4-5 (22)
17. Las Vegas Raiders, 5-4 (16)
18. Carolina Panthers, 5-5 (25)
19. Cleveland Browns, 5-5 (14)
20. Cincinnati Bengals, 5-4 (18)
21. Philadelphia Eagles, 4-6 (26)
22. Denver Broncos, 5-5 (17)
23. New York Giants, 3-6 (23)
Winners of two of their last three, the Giants have wins over the current No. 6 and No. 7 seeds in the NFC playoffs (Saints and Panthers, respectively). They will draw an angry Tom Brady on “Monday Night Football,” but then the schedule softens, including a slew of offenses that can be contained in the Giants’ defense-first winning formula.
24. Seattle Seahawks, 3-6 (20)
25. Washington Football Team, 3-6 (29)
26. Atlanta Falcons, 4-5 (19)
27. Chicago Bears, 3-6 (24)
28. Miami Dolphins, 3-7 (30)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars, 2-7 (27)
30. New York Jets, 2-7 (28)
The Jets have allowed 175 points over the last four games (1-3), which is the second-most in a four-game span by any team since 1970, according to ESPN. The Patriots (54), Colts (45) and Bills (45) made the Jets the first team since the 1966 Giants to give up at least 45 points three times over four games. Yeah, the young defense also is a bad defense.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns isn’t buying Mac Jones’ explanation that the New England Patriots quarterback was trying to tackle and not injure him after a sack Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.
He all but put a target on the 15th pick of the 2021 draft when asked how he wanted the situation, being reviewed by the NFL for a possible fine, to turn out.
“It would be nice to have an apology, but it’s not going to happen,” Burns said Wednesday, the first time he has addressed the play. “However the NFL handles it, it’s on them. I would just like to play them again.
“I wish all my fellow D-end brothers happy hunting. That’s all.”
Jones was asked Wednesday whether he thought about reaching out to Burns to apologize.
“I already addressed that situation. I’m just looking forward to playing in this game with the guys we have on our team this week. So we’re already kind of moving forward and ready to play this week,” he said.
The play occurred near the end of the first quarter of Carolina’s 24-6 loss. After Burns took Jones down on a strip-sack, the quarterback grabbed Burns’ right ankle and held on as the end tried to escape.
With Burns down on the field holding his ankle and with Carolina linebacker linebacker Frankie Luvu recovering the fumble more than 10 yards away, Jones got up and walked away.
Jones said on Monday in his weekly interview on WEEI radio in Boston that he thought Burns had the ball and that “it’s my job to try to make the tackle.”
Carolina edge rusher Haason Reddick called the play “completely dirty” Sunday. Burns, after watching the replay and then studying it from every angle available, agreed.
“I thought it was some bull at first for him to grab my ankle in the first place,” Burns said. “After watching the video and … him just walking away, everything didn’t seem right about it. I’m down there in pain; he just looked at me and walked off like he did his job or some bull like that.
“After seeing that, that’s when I realized, ‘Damn!'”
Burns later in the game rolled the ankle again and had to be helped off the field a second time. He did not practice Wednesday, and his status for Sunday’s game at Arizona is in question.
Coach Matt Rhule said his edge rusher would be a game-time decision, but Burns expects to play.
Burns laughed when asked whether he had heard from Jones or Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
“No,” he said. “Not at all. They’re not going to hook me up.”
Burns also hasn’t heard from the league.
“They can do what they please with the video,” he said. “It’s clear to see he held on to my ankle, swept my leg, twisted my ankle, whatever you want to call it.”
Even Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey, who typically avoids controversy, questioned Jones’ motives.
“I thought it was pretty suspect,” he said.
Since Sunday, Burns was reminded that Jones “nudged” one of his American Heritage teammates after Burns sacked him in a high school game. Both players grew up in South Florida, Burns in the Fort Lauderdale area and Jones in Jacksonville.
“I didn’t even know I played him in high school,” Burns said with a laugh.
Burns won’t forget Jones after Sunday.
“As soon as I sacked him, he grabbed my arm,” he said. “And my arm was trapped. Once I got my arm free and tried to run, obviously he grabbed my ankle. At that point I just remember going down with my ankle hurting.
“Everybody else ran past us. If I had the ball, don’t you think I would be being tackled or your teammates would help? I don’t think it’s cool.”
Tory Barron is a Bristol-based writer and editor for ESPN.com. After retiring from playing lacrosse at UConn, the DC native decided to try her hand at writing about people playing sports.
Week 2 saw Week 1 and said, “Hold my beer.”
There were touchdowns (five of them involving 44-year-old Tom Brady), interceptions (those are four throws Zach Wilson will want to forget), gutsy playcalls (here’s looking at you, John Harbaugh) and high-stakes field goals (Legatron has ice in his veins).
It was, well, a lot. Which is why we’ve got you covered with everything you might have missed so you can catch up before the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers (8:15 p.m. ET Monday, ESPN) put a bow on Week 2:
Lamar conquers kryptonite …
Entering Sunday night’s matchup, Lamar Jackson had never beaten Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. But that’s old news now. The Baltimore Ravens’ QB put on a masterful performance and — thanks to a little faith from his head coach — secured his team’s victory by running for a first down on fourth-and-1 after his defense recovered a fumble by Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
En route to the Ravens’ 36-35 win, Jackson had his ninth career 100-yard rushing game, which is tied with Michael Vick for most by a quarterback.
“He [coach John Harbaugh] asked if we wanted to go for it,” Jackson said of the conversation before his game-sealing fourth-down conversion. “I said, `Hell yeah.’ I said, `Man, I got to get this first down no matter what.'”
Big Truss.
“LAMAR! Do you want to go for this?” 😈 pic.twitter.com/ZfdJowmWyT
— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2021
Harbaugh literally said “Lamar! You wana go for this?” Lol …
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 20, 2021
This moment between @Lj_era8 and Coach Harbaugh. 🥺🥺 pic.twitter.com/D6WWZSqeh9
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 20, 2021
Tommy and Gronky forever …
Some things never change. Namely Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski is a dangerous combination. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback-tight end duo connected for a pair of touchdowns for the third straight game, including the Super Bowl, as Gronk and Brady continued to climb the career list for regular-season TDs by a passing duo with 88 — one behind Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates for second place (Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison are first with 112).
TB12 threw for five touchdowns as he improved to 9-0 lifetime against the Atlanta Falcons. Brady’s fifth TD pass put Tampa Bay over 30 points for a ninth straight game. The Bucs are the first team in NFL history to score at least 30 points and win in nine straight games, including playoffs. Brady was also the starting quarterback for the only other streaks that reached eight games (the New England Patriots in 2007 and 2010-11).
Somebody tell the man he’s 44 years old because there is no way he knows.
Fourth TD connection in two weeks…@TomBrady @RobGronkowski pic.twitter.com/RacFRzpwsx
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 19, 2021
Mac Jones does all the things …
Meanwhile in New Jersey, New England’s new QB1 was putting in some work of his own. As the Patriots topped the New York Jets for the 11th straight meeting, Jones was giving 110% effort at all times — including during celebrations with teammates and when he helped Damien Harris into the end zone.
Yea! @MacJones_10 😂🩸💧📈📈 My dawg built different! Almost gave me a concussion 😂 https://t.co/erUU5UDFdS
— Kendrick Bourne Poly (@BournePoly11) September 19, 2021
Damien Harris on Mac Jones helping push him over the goal-line: “I appreciate it but I hope he never does it again. We need him.” pic.twitter.com/FFxDpTNXxf
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 19, 2021
Don’t worry about Suh …
That is unless you’re an opposing quarterback. Ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Falcons, Bucs defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh tweeted, “Most people smell pancakes on Sunday. I smell victory. It’s a different kind of brunch.” Depending on your rooting interests, this could either be viewed as highly encouraging or slightly terrifying. But at least one fan felt compelled to warn Suh to be careful.
The Bucs’ vet didn’t hesitate to inform said fan that the concerns were misplaced (and strike fear in the hearts of Matt Ryan supporters):
Think you meant to send this to Matt
— Ndamukong Suh (@NdamukongSuh) September 19, 2021
After Tampa Bay’s trouncing of Atlanta, Suh tweeted a conclusion.
That went well.
— Ndamukong Suh (@NdamukongSuh) September 20, 2021
To be fair, he did warn us.
Baker pays tribute …
When Baker Mayfield led the Cleveland Browns to their first win of the season, he had no shortage of inspiration. On Sunday, the quarterback chose to honor a fallen service member with custom pregame cleats. Mayfield’s kicks paid tribute to late Navy Corpsman Maxton Soviet. The 22-year-old was one of 13 service members killed in an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, last month. Respect.
Players take accountability …
The New Orleans Saints’ Cameron Jordan and the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Mixon are pointing fingers, but they’re directed at themselves.They were both quick to turn to Twitter fingers to express their disappointment with Sunday’s result.
Prob gon lament over missing that sack strip on darnold… starts up front and with me. Being undisciplined will hurt us, penalties were self inflicted. Gotta clean it up ASAP #24hrrule
— cameron jordan (@camjordan94) September 19, 2021
We Will Be Better‼️
— ⚡️Primetime!!!⚡️ (@Joe_MainMixon) September 19, 2021
While they were reeling in defeat, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray demanded more from himself despite his team’s win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Lots to clean up, but a win is a win!🥋
— Kyler Murray (@K1) September 20, 2021
If his past two video game performances were Murray’s idea of messy, we look forward to seeing the cleaned-up iteration.
Murray wasn’t the only Cards player with a postgame message. His teammate J.J. Watt’s was just a little more nuanced … and involved the fictional pro soccer club from “Ted Lasso.”
Like Ted says…
Believe. pic.twitter.com/1ifVtiBni9
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) September 20, 2021
If you weren’t hearing “J.J. Watt doo-doo doo-doo-doo” to the tune of the “Baby Shark”-inspired Jamie Tartt song before, we bet you are now.
Ravens honor Omar …
Before Jackson took center stage, the Ravens honored another legend with Baltimore ties. On the same night actress Kerry Washington paid tribute to late actor Michael K. Williams while presenting during the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, the Ravens played the tune of the iconic whistle of his beloved character from “The Wire,” Omar Little.
For Omar 🎶 pic.twitter.com/NT6TugVaEf
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 20, 2021
Little — a Robin Hood of sorts — was a stick-up artist in the streets of Baltimore who was feared throughout the city and made a living by robbing drug dealers.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New England Patriots-New York Jets rivalry enters a new phase Sunday. Let’s call it the Mac & Zach era.
For the first time in the 62-year history of the series, the Patriots and Jets will start rookie quarterbacks against each other — Mac Jones and Zach Wilson, respectively. These aren’t just any rookies. They’re both first-round draft picks and are considered the long-term answers at the position.
Wilson, 22, was drafted No. 2 overall out of BYU. Jones, 23, out of Alabama, was the No. 15 pick. Chapter I of the quarterback rivalry begins on Wilson’s turf at MetLife Stadium (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
NFL Nation reporters Mike Reiss (Patriots) and Rich Cimini (Jets) take a closer look at Jones and Wilson:
What has each organization learned about its quarterback?
Reiss: That Jones can handle pressure — first as the potential franchise quarterback in the post-Tom Brady era, and then on the field. The Miami Dolphins blitzed Jones 45% of the time in the season opener (second-highest total in the NFL), and Jones was 9-of-13 with a touchdown when under duress, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was complimentary of Jones’ opening performance (29-of-39 for 281 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT).
“They certainly challenged us with a lot of different looks and pressures. That’s to be expected, and I thought Mac handled most of that very well,” McDaniels said. “His communication, I thought, was clear. It was consistent. He was loud.”
Overall, Jones has earned the respect of teammates and coaches with a veteran-like approach — always working and keeping an even keel.
Cimini: That Wilson can take a punch. He was hit nine times by the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, including a two-man body slam late in the game, but he never flinched. You never know about a young quarterback until you see him in game action — how he responds to getting hit. Wilson wasn’t knocked down in the preseason and he certainly didn’t get roughed up last season against BYU’s cream-puff schedule, so it was an unknown going into the regular season. His resilience impressed teammates. “Man, he’s a tough dude,” Jets wide receiver Corey Davis said. “He got hit a lot. Just to see how he reacted, there was no frustration, no anger. He was just poised.” His overall numbers under pressure weren’t good (3-for-13, 87 yards, 1 TD), but he improved a lot in the second half.
And the biggest concern for these rookies this season will be …
Reiss: Jones took nine hits in the season opener, and Patriots center David Andrews said the team needs to do a better job taking care of him. “We were disturbed by it,” added offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. Jones is 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds, wears a protective brace over his left knee and hasn’t experienced the benefits of a full NFL offseason program, so it isn’t a stretch to say preservation is a top concern. That ties in to the challenge for all rookies in a sense — a longer 17-game NFL season compared to college.
Cimini: The obvious answer is protect him better, but it goes deeper than that. The Jets can’t let Wilson be victimized by the Sam Darnold Syndrome — i.e., improper QB development. They have surrounded Wilson with a competent set of wide receivers, which is a start, but they have to be careful not to put too much on his plate. They have to feature the running game and make the offense as balanced as possible. There will be a temptation to go the other way and become pass-happy, especially if they’re playing from behind, but coach Robert Saleh can’t lose sight of the big picture. He can’t let Wilson be this year’s Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), exposing him to injury by having him throw 40 times a game. For Wilson’s sake, you hope this regime doesn’t repeat the sins of the past.
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Rich Cimini says that Corey Davis should expect similar production that he saw in Week 1 going forward.
Tell us one thing people might not know about Mac & Zach:
Reiss: I’m going to give you a few to cover the bases. His birth name is Michael McCorkle Jones, as McCorkle is his mother Holly’s maiden name. He and his girlfriend, Sophie, have a Maltipoo dog named Rose. And Jones practices breathing exercises on the sideline during games to calm himself down. In many ways, the New England region is still learning about Jones and what makes him tick, and these are a few things that have come up in recent weeks in interviews and television broadcasts.
Cimini: When Wilson puts his mind to something, he usually accomplishes it. In college, he decided he wanted to teach himself how to juggle. He made himself into a really good juggler. When he was younger, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Classroom work was a challenge in college, but he overcame it. He never let it affect his ability to learn football plays and concepts. He has been known to spend hours watching film and preparing for games.
How do the matchups look for this game?
Jones vs. the Jets: Just as Jones faced a lot of blitzes against the Dolphins, he should expect the same on Sunday. The Jets blitzed 41.7% of the time in their season-opening loss, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, which was the fifth-highest total of any team in Week 1.
Wilson vs. thePatriots: Rookie quarterbacks don’t have much success against Bill Belichick-coached defenses. The Patriots are 9-1 in their past 10 games against rookies, although they lost the most recent one (Week 15 in 2020 to Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa). The last Jets rookie to beat a Belichick-led team was Geno Smith in 2013.
Straight from ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky:
On Jones’s debut: “Two things about Mac Jones: One, he was very convicted with his eyes. He knew what he was looking at and believed in what he was looking at, and was convicted in where he went. Two, I thought he made four or five tough, big-time throws while getting hit. That was as impressive as anything any rookie did.”
On Wilson’s debut: “For Zach, the game was very fast for him early on physically, but his eyes were fast, which was a good thing. He realized that while college football windows may be the same size as the NFL, they close faster. It’s mainly because underneath defenders are longer. The interception was a perfect example. That being said, I was really impressed with his toughness.”
One of the many reasons why the San Francisco 49ers traded up to the third overall spot in this year’s NFL draft was their belief that the New England Patriots could trade up to No. 3 and beat them to Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, league sources told ESPN.
San Francisco wanted to position itself to select a quarterback for the future and believed there were multiple worthy candidates. But the 49ers also were concerned that the Patriots would leapfrog them in the draft and position themselves to select Jones before San Francisco could.
The 49ers considered the well-documented relationship between Bill Belichick and Nick Saban, and knew that New England was doing legwork on the quarterback prospects in the draft. The Niners also believed at the time that Jones was the prospect the Patriots identified as their potential quarterback of the future.
This belief contributed to the Niners completing the late-March trade that sent three first-round draft picks to the Miami Dolphins to move up to the No. 3 spot, which gave them the ability to draft Jones or any other quarterback they deemed worthy in that slot.
San Francisco ultimately decided Trey Lance was its preferred quarterback, and Jones wound up with New England anyway– without the Patriots having to surrender any additional compensation.
Jones will start New England’s season opener Sunday against Miami, while Lance will serve as San Francisco’s backup to Jimmy Garoppolo against the Detroit Lions.
