FOXBOROUGH — There were times during Mac Jones' postgame press conference, after the Patriots fell 25-20 to the Eagles, that it felt like we were watching an episode of Dr. Phil - or a webcam in a Catholic confessional.
Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned against the New England congregation that worships at the feet of Thomas Edward Brady ... I had another chance to win a game late against a good team and didn't come through.
"I felt like in the most critical times, I did my worst," said Jones, who set career highs with 54 attempts (35 completions) and 316 yards to go along with three touchdowns. "All you can do is learn. That’s what you do as a good quarterback. You go back and learn. When it’s the hardest, that’s when you need to play your best. I definitely can do it. I know I can do it. I’ve done it before. Just got to be better, and definitely came back and had a chance to win the game a few times. Just felt like I let the defense down, and I’ll have to live with that."
More than a few Patriots fans were probably thinking the exact same thing, especially on a day where No. 12 was in the house and honored at halftime in the first act of Tom-a-palooza 2023, 2024 ... probably in perpetuity.
It was all a little awkward. The man who delivered in so many moments like that — Brady probably could have suited up at halftime and won that game — was watching one of his would-be successors just not measure up.
Again.
So, you understand why Jones, who had the ball in his hands twice with a chance to put the Patriots ahead but didn't get it done again, was being the hardest he's ever been on himself (it wasn't just TB12 being there, Jones has some making up to do for last season, and he wasn't really telling any lies...).
"Yeah, not good by me," Jones said. "They gave me the ball twice to win the game, and I couldn’t do it. I just got to go back and watch and see what I can do better, but as a quarterback, that hurts; right? You get a chance to win the game twice and can’t do it. You just got to learn from it. You only get so many opportunities in the NFL to do that, and I felt like I definitely let the team down."
We won't have our definitive proclamation until we see the coaches film tomorrow, but we took a closer look at the TV copy and broke down each of the crucial plays down the stretch, starting with 11:18 remaining — including some strange Bill Belichick decisions — to determine exactly how much was on Jones.
For the (advanced analytics) record, Jones' Completion Percentage Above Expectation was -1.8, which ranked 18th in the league this week. Still, it was better than Jared Goff (-2.5), Patrick Mahomes (-10.6), Jordan Love (-12.3), Joe Burrow (-13.9) and Dak Prescott (-15.4). Remember that drops (at least three) and failed toe-taps (two) work against the QB here. Also of interest: Jones' 2.52 seconds time to throw was fourth-quickest this week.
What's the verdict? Let's take a look:
SCORE: PHI 22 NE 14
1-10-PHI 24 (11:18) (No Huddle, Shotgun) M.Jones pass short right to J.Smith-Schuster to PHI 19 for 5 yards (D.Slay).
Called quick game to Juju Smith-Schuster. Need a guy to break a tackle here and he does not.
2-5-PHI 19 (10:52) (No Huddle, Shotgun) R.Stevenson right guard to PHI 17 for 2 yards (M.Williams).
Atonio Mafi gets jacked up at the line of scrimmage.
3-3-PHI 17 (10:13) (Shotgun) E.Elliott right guard to PHI 17 for no gain (F.Cox).
Sidy Sow gets beaten by Fletcher Cox.
4-3-PHI 17 (9:39) (Shotgun) M.Jones pass incomplete short right to E.Elliott [H.Reddick].
Sow beaten again and Calvin Anderson as well as Jones is hit as he attempts a desperation pass. Will need to watch the film on this. It appears that Kendrick Bourne may have been an option on a low crosser. It appears the combination of inside and outside pressure didn't let Jones attempt this pass.
VERDICT: Can't really fault Jones here. The Elliott call was a bit suspect, but it's something you do if Belichick is telling you that you have two downs to pick it up. Really, Belichick should have taken the field goal here with almost 10 minutes left in the game and the defense playing the way it was.
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Eagles come back with a field goal to push the lead to 11 (instead of eight points had the Patriots taken the field goal). Philly goes really conservative on defense and basically lets the Patriots waltz down the field for a touchdown. 20 percent of New England's 382 total yards come on this 75-yard drive, their longest of the game.
SCORE: PHI 25 NE 20 WITH 3:32 TO PLAY
TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. M.Jones pass to M.Gesicki is incomplete. ATTEMPT FAILS
Any way you slice it, this was a terrible pass from Jones. Even if, say, Mike Gesicki was supposed to run an in-breaking route instead of a skinny post, the pass was almost intercepted by the underneath linebacker. The skinny post, at the least, had a chance if Jones put the ball high (which is where QBs are instructed to throw it in the back of the end zone - low to the goal line) and just let Gesicki go make a play, which is why he is here. There was no pressure on the play
VERDICT: Bad throw by Jones. Threw quick, had nothing on it, poor fundamentals with his base ... not close to good enough. And he knew it.
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Miraculously, the Patriots have another life thanks to Jabrill Peppers' awesome forced fumble.
"That was a great play. Pep [Jabrill Peppers], he is the man. He told me to go win it, and we couldn’t, and that hurts me. They gave me back the ball to win it multiple times, and Pep always brings that energy to practice, and it feeds through the team. He is going to continue to make those plays, and we talked in the locker room, and I feel like we’re on the same page. Just got to do better on my part, you know. When the defense holds the best offense to that few points and gets the ball back, just got to be better." - Jones
SCORE: PHI 25 NE 20
1-10-PHI 41 (3:28) (Shotgun) E.Elliott left guard to PHI 36 for 5 yards (J.Davis; F.Cox). PHI-F.Cox was injured during the play.
2-5-PHI 36 (2:59) (Shotgun) M.Jones sacked at PHI 43 for -7 yards (sack split by J.Davis and J.Sweat).
Elliott started wide and went in motion to the backfield and the linebacker went with him, indicating the Eagles were in man-to-man. That set in motion, for the Patriots, their patented pick/wheel route. Kayshon Boutte would pick the linebacker in coverage on Elliott, leaving the RB wide open in the left flat. The only problem? The Eagles were actually in zone, which is why Jones pulled the ball down. And Trent Brown gave up quick pressure/the ultimate sack. This was a combination of good play by the Eagles and poor blocking by Brown. Not on Jones.
3-12-PHI 43 (2:29) (Shotgun) M.Jones pass incomplete deep middle to K.Bourne (D.Slay) [M.Williams].
Anderson gives up the QB hit, but this is a tremendous play by Jones to hang in the pocket, take the hit, and deliver a perfect pass to Bourne ... who drops it in traffic. Should have been first down at the 23-yard line. This was not on Jones.
4-12-PHI 43 (2:24) (Shotgun) PENALTY on NE, Delay of Game, 5 yards, enforced at PHI 43 - No Play.
This play looked like it came in late, as they broke the huddle with about 12 seconds left. That's fine ... Patriots have all three timeouts left and the two-minute warning. Good time to pin them deep with a punt but ... they're going for it?!
Ok, Eagles take a timeout ... Phew. I'm sure Belichick is going to punt now ... they're going for it again?!
4-17-PHI 48 (2:24) (Shotgun) M.Jones pass incomplete short right to H.Henry.
Will have to see the film, but the only option to the left side was Kayshon Boutte. Henry's drop is kind of big because the Eagles would have the ball at the 33. Now it's at the 48. Jones didn't have much on it.
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Eagles go for it on 4th and 2 with a pass, and now the Patriots have another chance to go ahead with great field position.
SCORE: PHI 25 NE 20
1-10-NE 44 (1:39) (Shotgun) M.Jones pass short left to K.Bourne to PHI 47 for 9 yards (T.Edmunds; J.Bradberry).
2-1-PHI 47 (1:39) (Shotgun) M.Jones pass incomplete short right to D.Douglas (A.Maddox).
Almost picked off. Really nice play by Avonte Maddox. Not a great decision.
3-1-PHI 47 (1:35) (Shotgun) R.Stevenson up the middle to PHI 43 for 4 yards (J.Evans).
Ok, solid.
1-10-PHI 43 (1:17) (No Huddle, Shotgun) M.Jones scrambles left end ran ob at PHI 36 for 7 yards (T.Edmunds).
Good decision by Jones.
2-3-PHI 36 (1:10) (Shotgun) M.Jones pass short right to M.Gesicki ran ob at PHI 19 for 17 yards (T.Edmunds).
Gesicki left wide open in a coverage bust by the Eagles. A gift the Patriots will take.
1-10-PHI 19 (1:02) (Shotgun) M.Jones pass incomplete deep left to K.Boutte.
This was a bad pass. Boutte appeared to have a step from my seat the stadium after a stutter, but Jones didn't even give him a chance. He just threw it out of bounds.
2-10-PHI 19 (:58) (Shotgun) M.Jones sacked at PHI 22 for -3 yards (J.Carter).
Eagles come with one of their few second-level blitzes and it is not picked up well from the combination of Mafi and Rhamondre Stevenson, who was helping Calvin Anderson but likely could have assisted on the LB blitz. Jones thought he might have a chance to escape the pocket, which was not a poor decision. Better play by Jalen Carter.
Timeout #3 by NE at 00:51.
3-13-PHI 22 (:51) (Shotgun) M.Jones pass short left to R.Stevenson to PHI 20 for 2 yards (C.Elliss; R.Blankenship).
Called screen. Hated this call. Did the Patriots think the Eagles were going to bring pressure on 3rd and 13? This play had no shot, and then they took their sweet-ass time getting back to the line to run kind of a big play with the clock running.
4-11-PHI 20 (:29) (No Huddle, Shotgun) M.Jones pass short left to K.Boutte pushed ob at PHI 8 for 12 yards (J.Jobe).
The Replay Official reviewed the pass completion ruling, and the play was REVERSED.
(No Huddle, Shotgun) M.Jones pass incomplete short left to K.Boutte (J.Jobe).
Jones makes a perfect pass past the sticks but the rookie Boutte, for the second time in the game, fails to drag his second foot to stay in bounds.
Game over.
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(Adam Richins for BSJ)
Mac Jones
Final tally:
Jones: 3
Weapons (drops, failed toe tap, etc.): 3
Protection: 2
Belichick decision: 2
Eagles defense: 1
O'Brien playcall: 1
There's little question that Jones got off to a horrible start in this game. He was tentative in the first quarter, threw off his back foot and seemed to anticipate the protection would be a disaster (it was not). But everyone can have a bad start. Heck, how many Super Bowls did Brady start off with a crap salad?
"I really didn’t throw any good passes on the first drive, so definitely a slow start, and it starts with me," Jones said of the 16-0 deficit to start the game, including a pick-six on his errant pass to Bourne. "Just got to watch the tape and clean it up, but definitely felt like we fought hard. Rookies played really well. The offensive line played really well. The skill players played really well. So, definitely let the team down tonight. Couldn’t score early, and we just fell behind because of me, and I put it on myself."
Credit to Jones that he rallied in the second quarter into the third with a stretch of 11 straight completions that would have been 12 had Boutte learned to toe-tap (the first of two times).
That set up the final stanza.
Was Jones totally to blame? No. Just about every facet of the offense and coaching had their own miscue(s) down the stretch that cost the team this game. Like I said recently, the Patriots have almost no margin for error against this schedule this year because their talent level isn't great. Things would be just a little easier if they had, say, DeAndre Hopkins (7 catches, 65 yards with a QB who had a 28.8 rating) on the field instead of Kayshon Boutte (0 catches on 4 targets), or Jakobi Meyers (10 targets, 9 catches, 81 yards, 2 TDs in a Raiders win at Denver) instead of Smith-Schuster (7 targets, 4 catches, 33 yards) not even being on the field for the final fourth-down play, or a big-money right tackle instead of Anderson.
But here's the thing about being a wanna-be franchise quarterback in the NFL: anyone can play QB in this league when everything around them is functioning at a high level.
Franchise quarterbacks find a way to get it done no matter what, at least more often than not.
Instead, this game will go into the ever-growing category of good-tries, good-efforts against a good team where the Patriots ultimately came up short:
2020 (Cam Newton)
21-24 at Buffalo
2021
17-19 vs. Tampa Bay (and Brady)
29-35 (OT) vs. Dallas
2022
26-37 vs. Ravens
24-27 (OT) at Packers
26-33 at Vikings
10-24 vs. Bills
18-22 vs. Bengals
23-35 at Bills
2023
20-25 vs. Eagles
Jones gets a little more time, considering he is under another offensive coordinator, to get this corrected and taken care of. But at some point here, by the midway point of the season at the latest, he needs to stop being 0 for 9 and closer to 9 and 0 in these scenarios.
Look, he is by no means totally to blame although the easiest thing in the world to do is blame the quarterbacks After Tom for not measuring up - the horror, not being immediately immortal (Aaron Rodgers started 6-10 and 10-14 with a team Brett Favre took to the NFC Championship Game - and Rodgers was in the same offense throughout). Belichick definitely deserves to share the blame for all his shortchanging of the offense in talent and coaching in recent years — make things a little easier for the QB and imagine what might be possible, instead of shopping at the discount rack for everything offense.
But the evidence is starting to pile up that Jones could get it done but hasn't.
"I do think I have the ability to make all the throws. It’s not that," Jones said. "It’s just doing it at the right time. ...
"If you don’t learn, you’ll never end up winning. I do think that losing is not fun. Never has been. Never will be. But just trying to move forward. If we score a few more points on offense, that would be a different story. So we’re not far off, it’s just trying to just do better.
He better. If he doesn't, someone else with more talent (hint: NOT Bailey Zappe) is going to get the opportunity to see what they can do.