Mac Jones took accountability for the New England Patriots‘ disappointing 2022 season, which came to an end on Sunday when they lost 35-23 to the Buffalo Bills. But his teammates stood up for him on Monday.

Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers was impressed with how the second-year quarterback handled adversity this season, with one particular moment sticking out over the rest.

“Mac, I didn't necessarily learn [anything about him],” Meyers said when asked what he learned about Jones in 2022. “He just continued to improve. He just showed who he was as a person outside of being a football player. One of my memories of the year was him out there playing while other people are chanting another quarterback's name.

“That's tough to deal with. But he didn't really complain. He just strapped his chin strap on the next play and went back to work. Proud of him.”

There were a couple of instances in which Jones was booed by the fans who were calling for Bailey Zappe to replace him. Of course, the most notable instance of that came in Week 7 on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears when Jones returned from an ankle injury that cost him three games. Jones struggled, completing just 3-of-6 passes for 13 yards with an interception in three drives with “Zappe!” chants ringing through Gillette Stadium by the end of his second drive. Zappe replaced Jones for the rest of the game after the third drive.

Meyers said following that game that tough to see someone like Jones, “who worked so hard,” receive “that kind of treatment.”

Meyers wasn't alone in saying Jones showed strong leadership on Monday. First-round rookie guard Cole Strange said Jones was a “big help” for him this season, noting the extra work the quarterback put in throughout the season.

“I think Mac is a leader and Mac's like, if anything, he's got a really, really great work ethic,” Strange said. “There was like so many times where I remember I was ridiculously late – for no reason, later than I should've been, and he was like still watching film or something and like getting treatment. He's got a really great work ethic. I've got a lot of respect for him.”

Strange credited Jones, along with center David Andrews and guard James Ferentz, for helping him through his rough stretch of play earlier in the season as they helped him teach a valuable lesson.

“I came in, I feel like I maybe struggled a little bit at first, but I improved as the year went on,” Strange said. “And I think it’s just a matter of continuing to work and continuing to make sure that you’re progressing. I guess that would be the lesson: just keep working and keep improving.”

As for focusing on his personal play, Strange is excited to get to work this offseason to help live up to the first-round pick tag.

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“Nothing specific, just kind of everything- trying to gain some weight, put a little bit of weight on and hold that,” Strange told ClutchPoints when asked if his coaches want him to work on anything in particular this offseason. “Then, continue to work on pretty much everything we work on in practice. I guess nothing really stops for me. I kind of really just keep practicing, just without the team.”

Strange is also looking forward to having a full offseason on just progressing as a football player and not having to worry about the draft process.

“It's nice to not have to deal with all of that, because it feels like all of that is just like shenanigans where I can just focus on football now,” Strange added. “So, that's kind of nice – not that the draft [was shenanigans], but doing the whole shuttle and the 40-[yard dash], I'm not going to be doing that.”